Brief

Curiosity rover captures 360° selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge on Mars

The rover’s 360° VR panorama combines images from MAHLI and Mastcam, marking a kilometer of elevation gain on Mount Sharp.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:04:24 GMT

NASA’s Curiosity rover recorded a 360-degree selfie at the south rim of Vera Rubin Ridge on sol 1943, which corresponds to Earth date January 23, 2018, according to the agency’s APOD article.

The mosaic combines 61 exposures taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI); frames showing the imager’s arm were removed, and the distant background was supplied by Mastcam images from sol 1903. The rover’s ChemCam housing blocks the view of the 5‑kilometre‑high peak of Mount Sharp.

On August 26, 2026, Curiosity marked a total elevation gain of one kilometre as it climbed from the floor of Gale Crater up the slope of Mount Sharp.

Key facts

• Curiosity captured a 360° selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge on sol 1943 (Jan 23, 2018). (nasa.gov)
• The VR panorama uses 61 MAHLI exposures, with background from Mastcam on sol 1903. (nasa.gov)
• Curiosity achieved a one‑kilometre elevation gain on Aug 26, 2026. (nasa.gov)

Sources

• [1] nasa.gov — originally reported as “APOD: 2026 October 3 – Selfie at Vera Rubin Ridge”