X

Photos from NASA's Perseverance Mars rover let you get lost on another world

In less than two months on the red planet, the most advanced rover ever has already sent back more than 16,000 images. We show you the best so far.

img-20200924-185317
img-20200924-185317
Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Eric Mack
edlpercymars

Welcome to Mars, Perseverance rover. This impressive view was captured during the landing process as the rover was lowered to the surface.

NASA

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sent back its first image, a tiny thumbnail of its landing spot in Jezero Crater, just moments after its dramatic soft touch-down on Feb. 18. The sedan-size rover has now been cautiously wheeling its way around for several weeks and has already sent back 16,448 total images as of April 1 -- and that's not an April Fools' gag.

Perseverance is outfitted with a total of 23 cameras, including those meant to be used primarily during the entry, descent and landing phase that's now obviously over with.

The cameras have different engineering or science purposes, and all the images they capture get relayed back to Earth. Because data from NASA's science missions is supposed to go into the public domain, all those pics get dumped into a huge and growing database of raw images that's available online.

Our video team picked out some of the best images sent back so far and put together the remarkable and surprisingly meditative supercut above of the view from Perseverance's perch on Mars.

After you've checked it out, you can keep the ochre-tinted chill vibes going by hitting up this popular 4K panorama put together from Perseverance's earliest snaps of Jezero.

Follow CNET's 2021 Space Calendar to stay up to date with all the latest space news this year. You can even add it to your own Google Calendar.