# Now THIS is a selfie (Mars Curiosity rover) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 30, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333 "2014-04-30T02:06:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/1 "2014-04-30T02:06:10Z")
A couple of days ago, Curiosity snapped a selfie (well, actually a series of images of portions of itself, using a camera on the end of a robotic arm. Some clever person has now assembled them into a super-zoomable [GigaPan image](http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/154134). This is deeply cool. You can zoom right in on the rover’s “eyes”, you can see specks of dust and gravel on its body, you can follow its tracks off into the distance, and you can zoom and pan and explore the landscape. And it’s on frickin’ MARS. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/2 "2014-04-30T02:11:43Z")
Curiosity looks so lonely. We need to send it some friends. Cool though, thanks for sharing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/3 "2014-04-30T02:15:11Z")
“EVA?” ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/4 "2014-04-30T03:31:04Z")
Man, that martian dust gets everywhere doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/5 "2014-04-30T05:08:56Z")
Am I not seeing the arm to which the selfie camera was attached? ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/6 "2014-04-30T05:23:48Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > Am I not seeing the arm to which the selfie camera was attached? That’s right - the selfie is a composite of several frames taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager, which is housed on the end of the rover’s arm. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/7 "2014-04-30T05:48:56Z")
OK, fine, just edit me out of the picture. See if I care! _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/8 "2014-04-30T06:21:35Z")
This one’s now my favorite selfie ever. [(Here’s #2.)](http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/03/here-inevitable-plane-crash-selfie/359162/) ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/9 "2014-04-30T06:30:59Z")
This is really amazing. Look at the ground to the left of the rover. See the little blue oval? Could that be ice? ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/10 "2014-04-30T06:44:26Z")
I looked at the JPL site and found out it’s a spot that the rover scrubbed with it dust removal tool. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/11 "2014-04-30T07:57:24Z")
> [@randompattern](#): > > I looked at the JPL site and found out it’s a spot that the rover scrubbed with it dust removal tool. :smack: Yes, the rover has prepared a spot where it is going to drill into that rock. Then it’s going to strike oil, build a big ranch and marry a brassy girl rover with big mastcams. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/12 "2014-04-30T08:05:00Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Yes, the rover has prepared a spot where it is going to drill into that rock. Then it’s going to strike oil, build a big ranch and marry a brassy girl rover with big mastcams. Maybe they should have named the rover Jed.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/13 "2014-04-30T09:11:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > OK, fine, just edit me out of the picture. See if I care! > _sniff_ That’s what I was thinking. I was even doing the thing with the two fingers behind his head. And then they edit me out. It would have been hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/14 "2014-04-30T11:29:42Z")
_You two_ are hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/15 "2014-04-30T17:01:40Z")
Zoom in a little on the equipment on top of the mast. Tell me you didn’t say, “Number Five is alive!”. ---
**Author:** ![Nauplius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nauplius/32/51_2.png) [@Nauplius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nauplius)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/16 "2014-04-30T18:56:43Z")
It looks like the treads are starting to crack. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/17 "2014-04-30T19:35:21Z")
> [@Nauplius](#): > > It looks like the treads are starting to crack. Well spotted. I thought at first that black area on the middle wheel on the right (as we look at it) was missing data, but there are several quite big holes in it. Those rocks must be quite sharp. Edit: looks like this is a [known issue](http://www.universetoday.com/108808/holy-wheels-sharp-rocks-force-nasas-curiosity-rover-to-seek-smoother-pathway-to-mount-sharp/). ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/18 "2014-04-30T23:47:10Z")
Why is there a reflection of [Stevie Wonder](http://cdn.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/02/Stevie-Wonder-620x480.jpg) in the camera lens? ---
**Author:** ![1iLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/1ileft/32/4114_2.png) [@1iLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1iLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/19 "2014-05-01T00:42:09Z")
My [favorite picture](http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/we5020fd41.jpg) from Mars. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-this-is-a-selfie-mars-curiosity-rover/687333/20 "2014-05-01T02:35:33Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Well spotted. I thought at first that black area on the middle wheel on the right (as we look at it) was missing data, but there are several quite big holes in it. Those rocks must be quite sharp. > > Edit: looks like this is a [known issue](http://www.universetoday.com/108808/holy-wheels-sharp-rocks-force-nasas-curiosity-rover-to-seek-smoother-pathway-to-mount-sharp/). IIRC, the serious purpose behind the selfies is to monitor wear and tear, isn’t it? Coolness is just the icing on the cake.