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 26

                           Mars Perseverance Sol 3
                 Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS, ASU

   Explanation: Stitched together on planet Earth, 142 separate images
   make up this 360 degree panorama from the floor of Jezero Crater on
   Mars. The high-resolution color images were taken by the Perseverance
   rover's zoomable Mastcam-Z during mission sol 3, also known as February
   21, 2021. In the foreground of Mastcam-Z's view is the car-sized
   rover's deck. Broad light-colored patches in the martian soil just
   beyond it were scoured by descent stage rocket engines during the
   rover's dramatic arrival on February 18. The rim of 45 kilometer-wide
   Jezero Crater rises in the distance. In the coming sols, Perseverance
   will explore the ancient lake-delta system in the crater, hunting for
   signs of past microscopic life and collecting samples for potential
   future return to planet Earth.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.
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