The newly released panoramic view shows an ancient river delta and cliff face, NASA said.
Washington, February 25 (IANS)| NASA has released the first high-definition bird’s eye view of the landing site of its Mars rover Perseverance at Jezero Crater. An ancient river delta and cliff face are visible in a newly released panoramic view, NASA said on Wednesday.
The images were captured by Mastcam-Z, a zoomable camera on board the Perseverance rover that landed on Mars on February 18. The Mastcam-Z is a dual-camera system equipped with a zoom function, which allows the cameras to zoom-in, focus and capture high-definition video as well as panoramic color and 3D images of the Martian surface.
The cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and help identify rocks and sediments up close by the rover’s other instruments. The cameras will also help the mission team determine which rocks the rover should sample and collect for future return to Earth. The camera system can reveal details as small as 3 to 5 millimeters near the rover and up to two to three meters in distant slopes along the horizon.