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Postcard from MarsNASA's Curiosity rover caught this vista of Mount Sharp on Mars this week. The unmanned mobile science laboratory is expected to make its way to the mountain in the near future to conduct experiments on its geology.This image was taken by Curiosity's 100-millimeter Mast Camera on August 23. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is in charge of Curiosity, the pointy mound in the center of the image is about 1,000 feet (300 meters) across and 300 feet (100 meters) high.Curiosity landed on Mars early on August 6, after the much publicized "seven minutes of terror," in which the SUV-size vehicle was gently lowered to the surface of the red planet by an innovative "sky crane." The rover is loaded with sophisticated equipment to measure conditions on Mars and look for the elemental building blocks of life.—Brian Clark Howard(See pictures of Curiosity's "crazy landing" and video of the rover's findings.)
Image courtesy MSSS/Caltech/NASA

Space Pictures This Week: Martian Vista, Neil Armstrong

Fresh images from Curiosity, telescopes, and satellites illuminate more of the universe, while a vintage photo of Neil Armstrong surfaces.

August 30, 2012