A few weeks ago, NASA's Mars rover robots had some time off from their hard work while the agency waited for a solar conjunction to occur on Mars, a natural phenomenon that could interfere with their communications. Before the break, the Curiosity rover was parked, but its hazard avoidance cameras (Hazcams) were still firing. In a first for the rover, Curiosity recorded the passage of a Martian day for 12 hours from its stationary position, capturing its own changing shadow on the landscape as the sun moves from dawn to dusk. He kept the images until the conjunction ended on November 25.
Curiosity was instructed to record the 12-hour sequences a few days before the conjunction began in mid-November, according to POT. The idea was to see if he could capture any weather phenomenon that might arise. That didn't end up happening, but the images Curiosity took on November 8 are still pretty lovely. They have been put together in two videos showing the view from their front and rear Hazcams.
Curiosity's Hazcams are typically used to help drivers avoid terrain that could be dangerous for the rover. But with the rover parked ahead of its Nov. 11-25 hiatus, the cameras were free for some sightseeing. Curiosity recorded from his position at the base of Mars' Mount Sharp from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. He and the other Mars explorers have since resumed normal activities.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-curiosity-rover-snapped-this-dreamy-timelapse-of-a-martian-day-175701537.html?src=rss
