NASA captures 'first-of-its-kind' image of 1,000ft-long winding trail cut through Mars' sand
NASA has captured a first-of-its-kind image of a long, winding trail across the surface of Mars. As Elon Musk puts the Red Giant in his sights and sees it as a potential savior of the human race, curiosity surrounding Mars couldn't he higher.
The US space agency has made huge strides in gathering proof of extra-terrestrial life on Mars, from finding alien-like masses to other odd formations.
But away from finding alien life for a moment, NASA has snapshotted one of its own over on our neighbouring planet.
A 1,000-foot-long pathfinder was spotted cutting through the planet's sand, thanks to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been circling Mars since 2006. If you look at the image below, the black speck at the end of the trail in the large Gale Crater impact basin is the Curiosity rover.
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Curiosity has been roaming Mars alone for over a decade now, exploring and gathering information about the planet’s geology and water history.
Even though the Orbiter and the rover have shared Mars for nearly 13 years (or 4518 Martian days), NASA believes this is the first time the Orbiter has caught Curiosity in the middle of a drive like this.
The tracks left behind by Curiosity's wheels stretch around 320 metres (1,050 feet) - which is the result of 11 short driving sessions between February 2 and February 28, when the photo was snapped.
In total, the rover has travelled 34 kilometres (21.3 miles), which isn't a lot. But remember that it moves at a top speed of 160 metres (525 feet) an hour, which is 40 times slower than the average person's walking pace.
Of course, this is understandable as Curiosity has to preserve its power and navigate Mars' rough terrain. But tracks following Curiosity's journey won’t be visible forever as the powerful winds on Mars will eventually sweep them away. This is why the captured photo is pretty memorable.
Elsewhere, scientists are working hard to explain the existence of pure sulphur - a basic ingredient for life on Earth. However, this chemical has never been found on its own in 30 years of Mars exploration.
Right now, the rover is slowly working its way toward the base of Mount Sharp, where there's a web of ridges known as boxwork formations. These are important because they hint that water once flowed there, leaving minerals behind in cracks underground.
Experts hope to dig further under the formation. It’s believed that had conditions been warmer and wetter, it would be one of the best bets for where microbial life could have survived on Mars.