I'm a bit obsessed with space and the beauty associated with the vastness beyond our mortal coil. These new images from Mars Curiosity Rover are particularly stirring, though. Check them out!
Maybe it's because they show an earthly scene on another planet, but I found these images of clouds (the clearest such example seen on the fourth planet yet) moving over the Martian surface beautiful and arresting. In the first animation below, the camera was pointed almost straight up. NASA notes that the clouds are likely composed of water ice crystals that condensed onto dust grains in the atmosphere.
In this second set, the camera was pointed at the south horizon, and like the first images, the frames were corrected for differing sensitivities between pixels and for light that was reflected inside the camera. After this, an average of all frames was created and subtracted from each individual frame. Doing helps to bring out changes between adjacent images.
Though low resolution and grainy, the images are a gorgeous look at a phenomenon we're familiar with on our home planet, sent from a camera that's farther from Earth than almost any other, save for a few deep space probes. Enjoy!
[via Gizmodo]
Why the sudden poor image quality?
I have always been amazed with outer space, mars, etc photos. I say we will have a manned expedition to mars in our lifetime. I just wish we had the motivation as a society to get there like we did back in the 60's to explore the moon.
That ISO looks a little grainy.
show us the alien pictures.