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Title: NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures 360-Degree View of Mars

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/11/21/0...

Space.com's Julian Dossett writes: For twelve years, we've watched Curiosity
crawl its way over the rocky surface of Mars, decoding mysteries of the Red
Planet and broadcasting back home pictures and data from the strange Martian
environment. The Mars rover, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),
has slowly scaled Mount Sharp since 2014. This mountain, officially monikered
"Aeolis Mons," was discovered in the 1970s; cut into its alien landscape is
the boulder-packed Gediz Vallis channel, which some scientists believe to be
an ancient river bed. Curiosity crossed into Gediz Vallis earlier this year --
 and, yesterday, JPL released a real treat for Mars lovers: a 360-degree
panorama view of the Gediz Vallis channel. You can play the YouTube video and
move your phone around for the nifty interactive feature. Or, if you're using
a desktop PC, you can shift the video around with a mouse. The panorama
showcases features like Kukenan Butte and Gale Crater Rim, with scientists
debating whether water, wind, or landslides shaped the boulder-laden terrain.
Another interesting observation is the presence of mysterious sulfur stones
with yellow crystals. Scientists are unsure about their origin since such
formations on Earth are linked to hot springs and volcanoes -- neither of
which are known to exist on Mars. Curiosity is now heading toward a location
called "the boxwork," a mineral-rich area potentially formed by ancient water
flows.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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