Get lost on Mars with a new 360-degree video from NASA
NASA puts you on the red planet's surface in a new 360-degree video showing viewers what it's like to explore Mars from the Curiosity rover's perspective.
In the new video, Curiosity is standing next to the Namib sand dune, about 23 feet from the camera, NASA said in a statement.
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Curiosity can see Martian mountains in the distance with a craggy, rocky surface underfoot. The photos used to create this video were taken on Dec. 18.
This marks the first time Martian sand dunes have been studied from close range.
Photos taken by orbiters circling Mars have shown that the Bagnold field -- the area of dunes that plays host to Namib -- moves about 3 feet per year, NASA said.
Curiosity is taking some time to investigate these dunes before moving on up Mount Sharp, the large Martian mountain that has served as the rover's destination since it first arrived on the red planet in 2012.
The intrepid rover is known for sending home dramatic images -- including selfies -- documenting its time on Mars.
A recent self portrait showed the car-sized spacecraft looking dusty in front of the Namib Dune after sampling the Martian sand. Those samples should help scientists learn more about the composition of the sand, and therefore Mars' geological history.
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Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.
