NASA’s Perseverance rover recently captured a remarkable new selfie on Mars, featuring a rare guest—a Martian dust devil. This small, swirling whirlwind of dust appears about five kilometres behind the rover, adding a unique and captivating detail to the image. The selfie, composed of 59 photos taken by the rover’s robotic arm camera, commemorates 1,500 sols (Martian days) of exploration. Taken near Jezero Crater at a site called “Witch Hazel Hill,” the photo also shows the rover’s latest sample borehole. This striking image highlights Perseverance’s ongoing mission and the dynamic environment of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Perseverance rover captures iconic selfie after 1,500 sols on Mars

The selfie was snapped as Perseverance reached 1,500 sols (Martian days) on Mars or 1,541 Earth days. The record signifies the rover’s prolonged mission on Mars’ surface, gathering valuable scientific data. The image is a mosaic made from 59 separate photos taken by the camera on the tip of the rover’s robotic arm. The photos were carefully pieced together to create a high-definition selfie of Perseverance in its Martian environment. The photo was taken when Perseverance was staked out in an area of terrain that has been referred to as “Witch Hazel Hill” on the outskirts of Jezero Crater. The rover has been taking samples there for five months, drilling into rocks and removing samples which may hold the key to secrets of ancient microbial life.What is distinctive in the selfie is the rover’s latest sample borehole on the ground. Both the unforgiving Martian terrain and the rover’s hardware are shown in the photo, testifying to the technological marvel hundreds of millions of miles from home.

NASA scientists celebrate the detail and effort behind Perseverance’s latest selfie

Megan Wu, an imaging scientist for the Malin Space Science Systems — the team that built the rover’s camera — gave some information about how it worked. It took some one hour of deliberate arm motion to capture all the photos required for this composite selfie, according to the reports. Wu mentioned that the work was worthwhile, especially with the dust devil adding a unique and memorable element to the image.Perseverance’s exterior in the photo is shrouded by a thin veil of crimson Martian dust, a result of its extensive deep drilling operations on scores of rock samples. Justin Maki, Perseverance imaging lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, underscored the importance of the selfie, stating that it provides “a great view of the terrain and the rover hardware.”

Perseverance’s fifth selfie showcases mission milestones and scientific goals

This is the fifth recent selfie taken because of the launch of the rover mission. It was made up of a series of pictures captured by the WATSON camera, which is installed on the rover’s robotic arm. WATSON took several more photos with the focus point being the rover’s mast so the selfie would be able to capture the whole width of the rover’s framework and surroundings in order to complete the composite picture.Launched in 2020, the Perseverance rover’s primary mission is to collect geological samples from Jezero Crater, a region believed to have been an ancient river delta and lakebed. Scientists hope that by analyzing these samples, they will observe remnants of microbial life that had previously inhabited Mars and learn more about Mars’ past. The rover’s continued exploration and the remarkable images it sends back, such as this latest selfie with a dust devil in the background, underscore the progress and excitement surrounding humanity’s quest to explore the Red Planet.Also Read | ISRO chief announces 2025 as ‘Gaganyaan Year’ with first mission featuring Vyommitra robot to launch in December