Curiosity captures vivid sunrise panorama of Martian yardang cliffs on Mount Sharp

A new panorama assembled from six Mastcam exposures taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time on sol 4,982 offers the clearest view yet of the wind-carved yardang cliffs that line the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp. The images were processed without white balancing, revealing striking blue tones as the morning light illuminates the formations that extend roughly 10 miles (16 km). Curiosity, now about 0.6 miles (1 km) higher than ever before, continues its ascent of the 3-mile-tall (5-km) mountain it has been climbing since 2014.

Project scientist Ashwin Vasavada highlighted the layer’s unusual color and tilt, suggesting it could be ash deposited by ancient volcanic eruptions. During the second year of its fifth extended mission, the rover will traverse layers rich in sulfates and carbonates before aiming for the yardangs’ base in 2027, where its robotic arm can collect unique data.