NASA’s Curiosity rover captures 12 hours of a Martian day | See video

 

Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

During the Mars solar conjunction – a period when the Sun is between Earth and Mars – in November 2023, NASA’s Curiosity rover captures 12 hours of a Martian day, from dawn to dusk.

For the unversed, communications between Earth and NASA’s Mars fleet are paused during Mars solar conjunction because the Sun may interfere with radio signals. This phenomenon happens every two years. Despite the communication being paused, the robotic explorers on Mars continue to collect data.

The videos shared by NASA show Curiosity’s silhouette shifting as the day moves from morning to afternoon to evening.

The above video is composed of the images captured by the Curiosity rover’s front Hazcam. It offers a breathtaking view southeast along Gediz Vallis, a valley situated on Mount Sharp. The robotic explorer has been steadily ascending the base of the towering 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain within Gale Crater since 2014.

As the sky brightens, the shadow of the rover’s 7-foot (2-meter) robotic arm gracefully moves to the left and its front wheels emerge from the darkness on either side of the frame. Additionally, a circular calibration target mounted on the shoulder of the robotic arm becomes visible to the left.

As the day progresses, the front Hazcam’s autoexposure algorithm adapts to changing lighting conditions, settling on exposure times of approximately one-third of a second in the afternoon. By nightfall, the exposure time grows to over a minute, resulting in the appearance of “hot pixels” – appearing as white snow across the final image.

Hey look – I’m a sundial!Ok, not exactly, but I did get a sol to enjoy my surroundings. During solar conjunction, I used my hazard cameras to study the Martian weather and dust. As this Earth year comes to an end, I hope you’ll take the time to soak in what’s around you. pic.twitter.com/eCQAcVtT1L

— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) December 28, 2023

Another video, composed of Curiosity’s rear Hazcam images, captures the shadow of the back of the rover as it looks northwest down the slopes of Mount Sharp to the floor of Gale Crater.