Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2021 February 20

                      Perseverance: How to Land on Mars
                     Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Mars 2020

   Explanation: Slung beneath its rocket powered descent stage
   Perseverance hangs only a few meters above the martian surface,
   captured here moments before its February 18 touchdown on the Red
   Planet. The breath-taking view followed an intense seven minute trip
   from the top of the martian atmosphere. Part of a high resolution
   video, the picture was taken from the descent stage itself during the
   final skycrane landing maneuver. Three taut mechanical cables about 7
   meters long are visible lowering Perseverance, along with an electrical
   umbilical connection feeding signals (like this image), to a computer
   on board the car-sized rover. Below Perseverance streamers of martian
   dust are kicked-up from the surface by the descent rocket engines.
   Immediately after touchdown, the cables were released allowing the
   descent stage to fly to a safe distance before exhausting its fuel as
   planned.

                   Tomorrow's picture: the stars in a rose
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.
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