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 27

         Perseverance Landing Site from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
                     Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

   Explanation: Seen from orbit a day after a dramatic arrival on the
   martian surface, the Perseverance landing site is identified in this
   high-resolution view from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The
   orbiter's camera image also reveals the location of the Mars 2020
   mission descent stage, heat shield, and parachute and back shell that
   delivered Perseverance to the surface of Mars. Each annotated inset box
   spans 200 meters (650 feet) across the floor of Jezero Crater.
   Perseverance is located at the center of the pattern created by rocket
   exhaust as the descent stage hovered and lowered the rover to the
   surface. Following the sky crane maneuver, the descent stage itself
   flew away to crash at a safe distance from the rover, its final resting
   place indicated by a dark V-shaped debris pattern. Falling to the
   surface nearby after their separation in the landing sequence, heat
   shield, parachute and back shell locations are marked in the
   high-resolution image from Mars orbit.

                     Tomorrow's picture: northern lights
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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