Curiosity collects self-portrait on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover used its Mars Hand Lens Imager to collect 55 high-resolution images of itself, which were stitched together to create this full-color self-portrait.

The images were taken Oct. 31 by the MAHLI camera on the end of the rover's robotic arm. The mosaic shows the rover at "Rocknest" inside Gale Crater.

Tracks from the six-wheeled rover are visible around Curiosty, and four scoop scars are at the left side of the mosaic, where the robot dug into the soil to gather samples for analysis inside on-board instruments.

The base of Gale Crater's 3-mile-high central peak, Mount Sharp, rises on the right side of the frame.

Engineers use self-portraits of Curiosity to document the state of its health and track dust accumulation and wheel wear, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

See more coverage of Curiosity's mission in our Mission Status Center.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

See larger image