        APOD: 2017 November 20 - Curiosity Rover Takes Selfie on Mars

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                               2017 November 20
                                      [2]
                    Curiosity Rover Takes Selfie on Mars
              Image Credit: NASA [3] , JPL-Caltech [4] , MSSS [5]

Explanation: Yes, but have you ever taken a selfie on Mars? The Curiosity
rover [6]  on Mars has. This selfie [7] was compiled from many smaller images
-- which is why the mechanical arm holding the camera [8]  is not visible.
(Although its shadow [9]  is!) Taken in mid-2015, the featured image [10]
shows not only the adventurous rover, but dark layered rocks [11] , the light
colored peak of Mount Sharp [12] , and the rusting red [13]  sand that
pervades Mars [14] . If you look closely [15] , you can even see that a small
rock is stuck into one of Curiosity's aging wheels [16] . Now nearing the end
of 2017, Curiosity continues [17] to explore the layers of sedimentary rocks
[18]  it has discovered on Vera Rubin Ridge [19]  in order to better
understand [20] , generally, the ancient geologic history of Mars [21]  and,
specifically, why these types of rocks exist there.

                  Now Available: The 2018 APOD Calendar [22]
                    Tomorrow's picture: familiar stars [23]

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [35] (MTU [36] ) & Jerry Bonnell [37]
                                  (UMCP [38] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [39] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [40]
              A service of: ASD [41]  at NASA [42]  / GSFC [43]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [44]
----------
Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1711/Selfie_Curiosity_3577.jpg
  [3] http://www.nasa.gov/
  [4] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
  [5] http://www.msss.com/
  [6] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/overview/index.html
  [7] https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19808
  [8] https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/cameras/mahli/
  [9] ap150329.html
  [10] https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19808
  [11] ap150209.html
  [12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sharp
  [13] ap970804.html
  [14] ap100205.html
  [15]
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/
?rawid=1046MH0002640000400290E01_DXXX&s=1046
  [16] ap130603.html
  [17]
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/mars-rover-curiosity-mission-updates/
?mu=sols-1868-1869-hello-gorgeous
  [18]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentary_rock#/media/
File:Chalus_road_-_ninara_02.jpg
  [19]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia21716/
view-toward-vera-rubin-ridge-on-mount-sharp-mars
  [20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqhK8dA7iO8
  [21] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars
  [22] https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/fap/APOD_Calendar_2018_300dpi.pdf
  [23] ap171121.html
  [24] ap171119.html
  [25] archivepix.html
  [26] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [27] lib/aptree.html
  [28] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [29] calendar/allyears.html
  [30] /apod.rss
  [31] lib/edlinks.html
  [32] lib/about_apod.html
  [33] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=171120
  [34] ap171121.html
  [35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [37] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [38] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [39] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [40] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [41] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [42] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [43] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [44] http://www.mtu.edu/
