Neighborhood for Curiosity's First Drilling Campaign

January 15, 2013

This wide view of the "John Klein" location selected for the first rock drilling by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is a mosaic taken by Curiosity's right Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the afternoon of the 153rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars.

Veins interpreted as evidence of a wet past are common in the flat-lying rocks of the area. An excerpt from this scene, PIA16568, provides an indication of scale.

This mosaic of telephoto images has been white-balanced to show what the rocks would look like if they were on Earth. A raw-color version is also available, showing what the rocks look like on Mars to the camera.