NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has taken its fifth selfie on Earth to mark 1,500 sols (Martian days) of exploration on the Red Planet. The six-wheeled rover was parked in “Witch Hazel Hill,” an area on Jezero Crater’s rim where it has been exploring for five months.
The selfie, captured by the WATSON camera at the end of the robotic arm, shows the rover with its remote sensing mast looking into the camera. The image was created from 59 original photos taken in just over an hour, with precision movements made to capture each unique field of view.
The dust covering the rover is a testament to its journey, having abraded and analyzed 37 rocks and boulders, collected 26 rock cores, and traveled over 22 miles. The mission’s power source, a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator, is providing enough energy for all systems to function.
As the rover continues to explore along Jezero Crater’s western rim, known as “Krokodillen,” the team is eager to assess its state and gather more scientific data. The selfie with the Martian dust devil offers a unique glimpse into the terrain and allows engineers to view the overall condition of the rover and its instruments.
Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/devils-in-details-in-selfie-taken-by-nasas-mars-perseverance-rover