After the installation of a major software update that enabled NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to drive faster and also reduced wear and tear on its wheels, the robot took stunning captures of the “Marker Band Valley” before leaving it behind.

The postcard, showcasing the picturesque landscape from the red planet, is an artistic representation of what Mars looks like at different times of the day.

In a news release, NASA said that the panoramas captured by the robot were taken with black-and-white navigation cameras on April 8, 2023.

The colours were further added to the black-and-white panoramas with blue being added to the parts of the postcard clicked in the morning and yellow to the ones clicked in the afternoon.

Further giving details of the postcard, NASA said that it shows several landmarks of Mars including "Marker Band Valley," where the rover discovered unexpected signs of an ancient lake and also two hills named "Bolivar" and "Deepdale".

<img alt="Figure A is an annotated version of the postcard noting geographic features and elements of the rover." src="https://mars.nasa.gov/internal_resources/1627" />

“Anyone who’s been to a national park knows the scene looks different in the morning than it does in the afternoon,” said Curiosity engineer Doug Ellison of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who planned and processed the images. “Capturing two times of the day provides dark shadows because the lighting is coming in from the left and the right, like you might have on a stage – but instead of stage lights, we’re relying on the Sun.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-share-of-photo-new-supernova-shining-brightly-in-pinwheel-galaxy-603496">Astronomers share photo of new supernova shining brightly in Pinwheel Galaxy</a>

NASA further noted that the rover took the photos during winter time and that the shadows during that time of the year are deeper and darker as the dust levels in the Martian atmosphere are at their lowest.&nbsp;

"Mars' shadows get sharper and deeper when there's low dust and softer when there's lots of dust," Ellison said.

<h2>New images of Mars raise questions over its redness</h2>

A new image of Mars is raising questions over its redness, and it looks like Mars isn't as red as we might have thought.&nbsp;

The new mosaic of Mars has been released to mark 20 years since the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Mars Express, which is a spacecraft that has been orbiting the planet for two decades.&nbsp;

Mars Express's High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC)'s data was used to create the mosaic. The image reveals the planet's colour and composition in spectacular detail... not so red.&nbsp;

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Say cheese! 📸 Over the past 20 years, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsExpress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsExpress</a> has orbited Mars 24,510 times, during which our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRSC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HRSC</a> has acquired 6916 images. 😲 We couldn’t quite fit all of them into this video, but you can find the best ones on our Flickr gallery: <a href="https://t.co/ey8vXRxlmM">https://t.co/ey8vXRxlmM</a> <a href="https://t.co/rFzxzqOUrT">pic.twitter.com/rFzxzqOUrT</a>
— DLR - English (@DLR_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLR_en/status/1664624837841518592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

On its website, ESA said that Mars appears in the night sky different from all the other gleaming dots in the darkness. Notably, the changing atmosphere of Mars has made it difficult to see all the colours on the planet from space in the past.&nbsp;

In a post, ESA said that the "dust scatters and reflects light, causing colours to shift between images". The space agency said that when the mismatched pieces are put together, the result is usually patchy looking.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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After the installation of a major software update that enabled NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to drive faster and also reduced wear and tear on its wheels, the robot took stunning captures of the “Marker Band Valley” before leaving it behind.

After the installation of a major software update that enabled NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to drive faster and also reduced wear and tear on its wheels, the robot took stunning captures of the “Marker Band Valley” before leaving it behind. The postcard, showcasing the picturesque landscape from the red planet, is an artistic representation of what Mars looks like at different times of the day. In a news release, NASA said that the panoramas captured by the robot were taken with black-and-white navigation cameras on April 8, 2023. The colours were further added to the black-and-white panoramas with blue being added to the parts of the postcard clicked in the morning and yellow to the ones clicked in the afternoon. Further giving details of the postcard, NASA said that it shows several landmarks of Mars including "Marker Band Valley," where the rover discovered unexpected signs of an ancient lake and also two hills named "Bolivar" and "Deepdale". “Anyone who’s been to a national park knows the scene looks different in the morning than it does in the afternoon,” said Curiosity engineer Doug Ellison of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who planned and processed the images. “Capturing two times of the day provides dark shadows because the lighting is coming in from the left and the right, like you might have on a stage – but instead of stage lights, we’re relying on the Sun.” Also read: Astronomers share photo of new supernova shining brightly in Pinwheel Galaxy NASA further noted that the rover took the photos during winter time and that the shadows during that time of the year are deeper and darker as the dust levels in the Martian atmosphere are at their lowest. "Mars' shadows get sharper and deeper when there's low dust and softer when there's lots of dust," Ellison said. New images of Mars raise questions over its redness A new image of Mars is raising questions over its redness, and it looks like Mars isn't as red as we might have thought. The new mosaic of Mars has been released to mark 20 years since the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Mars Express, which is a spacecraft that has been orbiting the planet for two decades. Mars Express's High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC)'s data was used to create the mosaic. The image reveals the planet's colour and composition in spectacular detail... not so red. Say cheese! 📸 Over the past 20 years, #MarsExpress has orbited Mars 24,510 times, during which our #HRSC has acquired 6916 images. 😲 We couldn’t quite fit all of them into this video, but you can find the best ones on our Flickr gallery: https://t.co/ey8vXRxlmM pic.twitter.com/rFzxzqOUrT — DLR - English (@DLR_en) June 2, 2023 × On its website, ESA said that Mars appears in the night sky different from all the other gleaming dots in the darkness. Notably, the changing atmosphere of Mars has made it difficult to see all the colours on the planet from space in the past. In a post, ESA said that the "dust scatters and reflects light, causing colours to shift between images". The space agency said that when the mismatched pieces are put together, the result is usually patchy looking. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover sends beautiful postcard from red planet showing different times of day

China's Mars rover drove from its landing platform and began exploring the surface on Saturday, state-run Xinhua news agency said, making the country only the second nation to land and operate a rover on the Red Planet.

The launch last July of the Tianwen-1 Mars probe, which carried the Zhurong rover, marked a major milestone in China's space programme.

Tianwen-1 touched down on a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia a week ago and beamed back its first photos of the surface a few days later.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/say-cheese-time-for-perseverance-as-mars-rover-sends-stunning-selfie-with-helicopter-376114">&nbsp;'Say Cheese' time for Perseverance as Mars rover sends stunning selfie with helicopter</a>

The Mars probe and rover are expected to spend around three months taking photos, harvesting geographical data, and collecting and analysing rock samples.

The six-wheeled, solar-powered, 240-kilogramme (530-pound) Zhurong is named after a Chinese mythical fire god.

China has now sent astronauts into space, powered probes to the Moon and landed a rover on Mars -- the most prestigious of all prizes in the competition for dominion of space.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-just-capture-a-rainbow-on-mars-image-inside-375618">Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside!</a>

The United States and Russia are the only other countries to have reached Mars, and only the former has operated a rover on the surface.

Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.

The latest successful arrival came in February, when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet.&nbsp;

The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet.

China has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.

It successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.

Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth.

That drew criticism from the United States and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to Earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.

China's Mars rover drove from its landing platform and began exploring the surface on Saturday, state-run Xinhua news agency said, making the country only the second nation to land and operate a rover on the Red Planet.

China's Mars rover drove from its landing platform and began exploring the surface on Saturday, state-run Xinhua news agency said, making the country only the second nation to land and operate a rover on the Red Planet. The launch last July of the Tianwen-1 Mars probe, which carried the Zhurong rover, marked a major milestone in China's space programme. Tianwen-1 touched down on a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia a week ago and beamed back its first photos of the surface a few days later. Also read | 'Say Cheese' time for Perseverance as Mars rover sends stunning selfie with helicopter The Mars probe and rover are expected to spend around three months taking photos, harvesting geographical data, and collecting and analysing rock samples. The six-wheeled, solar-powered, 240-kilogramme (530-pound) Zhurong is named after a Chinese mythical fire god. China has now sent astronauts into space, powered probes to the Moon and landed a rover on Mars -- the most prestigious of all prizes in the competition for dominion of space. Also read | Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside! The United States and Russia are the only other countries to have reached Mars, and only the former has operated a rover on the surface. Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft. The latest successful arrival came in February, when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet. The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet. China has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration. It successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon. Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth. That drew criticism from the United States and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to Earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.

China's Mars rover starts roaming the Red Planet

China's "Zhurong" rover, part of its ambitious space programme to send a probe to Mars, is set to attempt the challenging landing on the Red Planet in the next five days, Beijing's space agency said Friday.

The tricky touchdown, if successful, would come a few months behind America's latest probe to Mars, as Beijing presses ahead with its increasingly bold space ambitions.

"Based on current flight conditions, the&nbsp;Tianwen-1&nbsp;probe intends to choose an opportunity to land ... in the period from early morning Saturday to Wednesday Beijing time," the China National Space Administration said in an online statement.

The launch of the&nbsp;Tianwen-1&nbsp;Mars probe last July marked a major milestone in China's space programme, which Beijing views as a sign of its rising global stature and technological might.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-high-resolution-images-from-chinas-mars-probe-shared-367889">Watch | High-resolution images from China's Mars probe shared</a>

The spacecraft, which entered Mars' orbit in February, has now reached a "crucial touchdown stage", the state-run tabloid Global Times said Friday. It will land in a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia.

Speculation about a Saturday landing has been rife on social media after a top spaceflight expert estimated the rover, named after a mythological Chinese fire god, would reach the surface in the morning Beijing time.

The complicated landing process has been called the "seven minutes of terror" because it happens faster than radio signals can reach Earth from Mars, meaning communications are limited.

The several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/europes-mars-probe-crashes-seconds-before-landing-esa-7759">Europe's Mars probe crashes seconds before landing: ESA</a>

The latest successful arrival came in February when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet.&nbsp;

The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/perseverance-rover-captures-sound-of-ingenuity-flying-on-mars-383610">Perseverance rover captures sound of Ingenuity flying on Mars</a>

Six-wheeled, solar-powered and roughly 240 kilograms, the Chinese rover will collect and analyse rock samples from Mars' surface.&nbsp;

It is expected to spend around three months there.&nbsp;

If successful, China will be the world's first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars.

It will become just the third nation to safely touch down on the Red Planet after Russia and the United States.

The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.

China successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the&nbsp;Moon.

Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-rocket-segment-disintegrates-over-indian-ocean-383776">Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean</a>

That drew criticism from the United States and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.

China's "Zhurong" rover, part of its ambitious space programme to send a probe to Mars, is set to attempt the challenging landing on the Red Planet in the next five days, Beijing's space agency said Friday.

China's "Zhurong" rover, part of its ambitious space programme to send a probe to Mars, is set to attempt the challenging landing on the Red Planet in the next five days, Beijing's space agency said Friday. The tricky touchdown, if successful, would come a few months behind America's latest probe to Mars, as Beijing presses ahead with its increasingly bold space ambitions. "Based on current flight conditions, the Tianwen-1 probe intends to choose an opportunity to land ... in the period from early morning Saturday to Wednesday Beijing time," the China National Space Administration said in an online statement. The launch of the Tianwen-1 Mars probe last July marked a major milestone in China's space programme, which Beijing views as a sign of its rising global stature and technological might. Also read | Watch | High-resolution images from China's Mars probe shared The spacecraft, which entered Mars' orbit in February, has now reached a "crucial touchdown stage", the state-run tabloid Global Times said Friday. It will land in a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia. Speculation about a Saturday landing has been rife on social media after a top spaceflight expert estimated the rover, named after a mythological Chinese fire god, would reach the surface in the morning Beijing time. The complicated landing process has been called the "seven minutes of terror" because it happens faster than radio signals can reach Earth from Mars, meaning communications are limited. The several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft. Also read | Europe's Mars probe crashes seconds before landing: ESA The latest successful arrival came in February when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet. The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet. Also read | Perseverance rover captures sound of Ingenuity flying on Mars Six-wheeled, solar-powered and roughly 240 kilograms, the Chinese rover will collect and analyse rock samples from Mars' surface. It is expected to spend around three months there. If successful, China will be the world's first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars. It will become just the third nation to safely touch down on the Red Planet after Russia and the United States. The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration. China successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon. Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March 5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth. Also read | Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean That drew criticism from the United States and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.

China rover to attempt Mars landing over coming days

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images.

And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The US space agency said that the image was captured using a camera called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering), part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument.&nbsp;

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Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsHelicopter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsHelicopter</a> Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed. 
 
Images: <a href="https://t.co/owLX2LaK52">https://t.co/owLX2LaK52</a> <a href="https://t.co/rTxDNK69rs">pic.twitter.com/rTxDNK69rs</a>
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1379883959006363648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Helicopter Ingenuity was also seen in the image which is a combination of 62 individual photographs clicked while the rover was alternatively looking at the helicopter and at the WATSON camera.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the predecessor of Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, Curiosity doesn't want to stay behind and is sending selfies of its own.&nbsp;

Curiosity took a panoramic image of itself and the surrounding landscape on March 26, which also showed a rocky outcrop known as Mont Mercou.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-just-capture-a-rainbow-on-mars-image-inside-375618">Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside!</a>

From the image, it can be seen severe dust accumulated as the rover is on Mars for eight and a half years.&nbsp;

Curiosity and Perseverance are powered by the radioactive decay of plutonium, which can keep them running amid raging dust storms in the Red Planet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images. And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday.

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images. And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday. The US space agency said that the image was captured using a camera called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering), part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument. Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed. Images: https://t.co/owLX2LaK52 pic.twitter.com/rTxDNK69rs — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 7, 2021 × Helicopter Ingenuity was also seen in the image which is a combination of 62 individual photographs clicked while the rover was alternatively looking at the helicopter and at the WATSON camera. Meanwhile, the predecessor of Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, Curiosity doesn't want to stay behind and is sending selfies of its own. Curiosity took a panoramic image of itself and the surrounding landscape on March 26, which also showed a rocky outcrop known as Mont Mercou. Also read | Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside! From the image, it can be seen severe dust accumulated as the rover is on Mars for eight and a half years. Curiosity and Perseverance are powered by the radioactive decay of plutonium, which can keep them running amid raging dust storms in the Red Planet.

'Say Cheese' time for Perseverance as Mars rover sends stunning selfie with helicopter

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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover sends beautiful postcard from red planet showing different times of day

China's Mars rover starts roaming the Red Planet

China rover to attempt Mars landing over coming days

'Say Cheese' time for Perseverance as Mars rover sends stunning selfie with helicopter