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The First Billion-Pixel Mosaic of Mars

Posted by samzenpus on from the worth-a-billion-words dept.

StartsWithABang writes In 2012, Mars Science Laboratory performed the first robotically-controlled soft landing of a vehicle of such incredible mass: nearly half a tonne. A few months later, the rover, Curiosity, took the first ever billion-pixel mosaic from the Red Planet's surface, with breathtaking views of the terrain and alternate views of what the soils would look like were they here on Earth. Now in its third year on Mars, Curiosity is roving the low slopes of its ultimate destination: Mount Sharp.

18 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Worth every penny..... by OutOnARock · · Score: 1

    She just keeps going and going and going....

    And yes we name our vehicles after women......

  2. WTF by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Funny

    I want to punch whoever designed that page. You know you can scroll horizontally too in a web browser...

    1. Re:WTF by gatkinso · · Score: 2

      I'll give you a second to think about why that is a terrible idea.

      --
      I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
  3. Worth every penny..... by OutOnARock · · Score: 1

    She just keeps going and going and going......

    And yes we name our vehicles after women since we started the practice.....

  4. What is that? by penandpaper · · Score: 4, Funny

    Right there, do you see it? That small pixelated unrecognizable area next to that rock. Must be aliens.

    Protip: If you zoom in on the pixelated area the evidence that it is aliens become clearer. The more you zoom the clearer it becomes.

    1. Re:What is that? by Toad-san · · Score: 1

      Bah! The tunnel entrances are barely visible at all!

    2. Re:What is that? by penandpaper · · Score: 1

      That's what the government wants you to think!

  5. Billion pixels of a billion grains of sand by slashdime · · Score: 1

    High resolution pictures make me see sand. This one will enable me to see sand on mars even sandier!

  6. Looked it over very thoroughly by FilmedInNoir · · Score: 4, Funny

    and I've already found 3 signs of alien intelligence and a rare Martian Sasquatch footprint.

    --
    Sig. Sig. Sputnik
  7. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If you had a dollar for each pixel, you still couldn't even send a cat to Mars.

  8. Mt. Sharp by __aabppq7737 · · Score: 1

    What a cool name. Wish I lived there.

  9. Mass by SlayerofGods · · Score: 2

    Curiosity is actually 899kg... a lot more than "nearly half a tonne"
    And technically the viking landers performed a soft landing as well and were not that light; about 600kg each.

    --

    Technology, the cause of and solution to all of life's problems.
  10. Does it use Microsoft Software by naris · · Score: 1

    So it can C Sharp?

  11. An actual viewer for the image by Flailernator · · Score: 2

    Hey look - someone figured out some actual display methods! http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedi...

    1. Re:An actual viewer for the image by AntiSol · · Score: 1

      Thanks.

      I was going to say "This was submitted by startswithabang, which means it's a link to medium.com, perhaps the most terribly designed site on the net - I'm not clicking it - does anyone have the real link?", but you saved me the trouble.

      The original, full-res image is available for download here.

  12. Re:Mars by wjcofkc · · Score: 2

    Never say never. We are a notoriously persistent species. If we manage to survive our adolescence, living on Mars will be a cakewalk.

    --
    Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
  13. Obvious Fake by rogoshen1 · · Score: 2

    I can clearly see the Happy Valley i-17 exit in picture 2. Nice try guys, the moon landing crew was much better at doctoring photos.

  14. Custom CSS by stiebing.ja · · Score: 1

    Assuming you are using a mdern browser, which has such capabilities built in: Try this (quickshot) custom CSS:

    .graf-image{
    transform: rotate(-90deg);
    }
    .aspectRatioPlaceholder{
    overflow:scroll;
    }

    --
    I lag