BIRD'S EYE VIEW
First-of-its-kind Nasa image shows mysterious dark object CRAWLING for 1,000 feet across Mars – can you tell what it is?
The tracks will soon disappear in Mars' tempest-level winds
NASA has snapped an image of an over 1,000ft-long, winding trail cut through the sand on Mars.
And the image may be the first of its kind.
6
6
The mysterious pathfinder was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been swinging around in Martian orbit since 2006.
The black speck at the end of the trail, spotted in the large Gale Crater impact basin, is actually the Curiosity rover.
The lonely piece of Nasa kit has been traversing the Red Planet in search of life for more than a decade.
It has been quietly completing its mission in almost complete isolation, and has gathered important data about the geological and water history of the alien world.
READ MORE ON MARS
Despite their missions crossing paths for nearly 13 years, Nasa believes this is the first time the Orbiter has captured the rover driving across the Red Planet like this.
The tracks left behind by Curiosity's wheels stretch around 320m (1,050feet) - the distance of just 11 driving sessions from 2 February until 28 February, when the photograph was taken.
In its 13 years - or 4518 Martian days, Curiosity has traveled just 34km (21.3miles).
The rover moves very slowly, with a top speed of just 160m (525feet) per hour, to preserve its power and navigate tricky terrain.
Most read in Science
That's about 40 times slower than the average person's walking speed.
The rolling sand dunes of Mars captured by NASA's Curiosity Rover
But proof of Curiosity's journey through the Gale Crater won't last long.
Mars' tempest-level winds will soon blast any traces of the rover's journey away.
In February, Curiosity was travelling along the Gediz Vallis channel, which scientists believe was carved out by large floods in Mars' watery past.
It was here the rover discovered yellow crystals understood to be elemental sulfur - one of the building blocks for life.
6
6
Mars facts
Here's what you need to know about the red planet...
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.
- It is named after the Roman god of war
- The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth, but due to the difference in gravity, you could jump three times higher there than you can here.
- Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest
- Mars is considered the second most habitable planet after Earth.
- It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
- The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles, and has an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles
- Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C
Scientists are working hard to explain the existence of pure sulfur, which had never been found on its own in 30 years of Mars exploration.
In the months after its picture was snapped by Nasa's Orbiter, Curiosity has explored a small butte called Devil's Gate, taken chemistry readings of various rocks, and snapped images of an interesting formation called Hale Telescope.
It is now making a slow and steady trek to the base of Mount Sharp, which has web-like pattern of ridges called boxwork formations.
These particular rock formations suggest that water once flowed through the area, depositing minerals in the cracks.
Read More on The Sun
Scientists want to take a look at the minerals in the formation, since they were deposited underground where it would have been warmer and wetter.
It is here that scientists believe alien microbial life has the best chance of surviving the brutal conditions on Mars.
6
6
How long does it take to get to Mars?
It's not that short of a trip...
- There is an immense distance between Earth and Mars, which means any trip to the red planet will take a very long time.
- It’s also made more complicated by the fact that the distance is constantly changing as the two planets rotate around the sun
- The closest that the Earth and Mars would ever be is a distance of 33.9million miles – that’s 9,800 times the distance between London and New York
- That’s really rare though: the more useful distance is the average, which is 140million miles
- Scientists on Earth have already launched a whole bunch of spacecraft to (or near) Mars, so we have a rough idea of how long it takes with current technology
- Historically, the trip has taken anywhere from 128 to 333 days – admittedly a huge length of time for humans to be on board a cramped spacecraft.
Topics