Curiosity’s Robotic Arm Camera Snaps 1st Night Images

by Ken Kremer on January 25, 2013

Image caption: This image of a Martian rock illuminated by white-light  LEDs (light emitting diodes) is part of the first set of nighttime images taken  by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera at the end of the robotic arm of NASA’s  Mars rover Curiosity. The image was taken on Jan. 22, 2013, after dark on Sol  165. It covers an area about 1.3 inches by 1 inch (3.4 by 2.5 centimeters).  Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSCuriosity’s  high resolution robotic arm camera has just snapped the 1st set of night time  images of a Martian rock of the now 5 1/2  month long mission –  using  illumination from ultraviolet and white light emitting LED’s.    See the images  above and below.

The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera is located on the tool turret at the  end of Curiosity’s  7 foot (2.1 m) long robotic arm.

MAHLI took the close-up images of a rock target named “Sayunei” on Jan. 22  (Sol 165), located near the front-left wheel after the rover had driven over and  scuffed the area to break up rocks in an effort to try