Mars Perseverance Sol 3
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.