'1,500 days on Mars': What is NASA's Perseverance rover and what has it been exploring on the Red Planet?

NASA’s Perseverance rover recently marked 1,500 sols or the Martian days, since landing on Mars in February 2021. This time period is equivalent to 1,541 Earth days. To commemorate the occasion, the rover took a composite selfie using a camera on the end of its robotic arm while it was stationed in an area nicknamed 'Witch Hazel Hill' near the Jezero Crater.

An unexpected guest, however, appeared in the background, a Martian dust devil which was visible as a pale puff approximately 5 kilometres behind the rover. “Having the dust devil in the background makes it a classic,” said Megan Wu, an imaging scientist at Malin Space Science Systems, which built the rover’s camera system.

The image is a composite of a total of 59 separate frame taken by the WATSON camera (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering). It took close to one hour to complete the robotic arm movements which was required for the capture. Three additional shots focused on the rover’s mast.

In the selfie, the Perseverance rover can be seen visibly coated in red Martian dust from its months of activity. It additionally shows the rover’s latest sample borehole which is a part of its mission to collect core samples of Martian rock and soil for its future return to Earth.

Perseverance has been exploring Jezero Crater for over two years now, a site that is believed to have once hosted a river delta as well as an ancient lake. The goal is to find signs of past microbial life. It has also drilled into dozens of rocks and even detected many organic molecules, which could hint at past habitability on the red planet.

This picture marks Perseverance’s fifth selfie since it began its mission. Each one provides context for the scientists tracking the rover’s journey and surroundings. The inclusion of the dust devil makes this one especially notable.

Perseverance has already captured some of Mars’ most detailed surface imagery, including many panoramic shots of ancient riverbeds as well as layered rock formations. These visuals continue to guide scientists in deciding where and what to investigate next.