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top 200 commentsshow 500

[–]GiPwner 880 points881 points ago

It's hard to believe that a species that just a few hundred years ago had no digital technology and less than 50 years ago landed on their own moon, have managed to take incredible photographs of the surface of another planet.

[–]GeneralWarts 636 points637 points ago

Everyone just take a moment here to pat yourself on the back.

Go Humans!

[–]TysonStoleMyPanties 141 points142 points ago

That reminded me of this comment from last month.

[–]GiPwner 95 points96 points ago

To be fair that guys was a lot better than mine.

[–]CivilSurvivor 39 points40 points ago

At least you tried and that's all that matters.

[–]chimpyTT 16 points17 points ago

The first reply to the noted comment is the best of all.

[–]etake2k 2 points3 points ago

to be fair that was from HERE

[–]HungryMoblin 2 points3 points ago

..And so humble!

[–]Bendrake 13 points14 points ago

My favorite part is the cat comment just under it.

[–]mister_pants 120 points121 points ago

Dear Other Countries,

Sure, we're complete nutjobs, but admit it -- we do the coolest shit ever.

Your friend/ally/occupier,

The United States of America

[–]carolusrex 54 points55 points ago

The world would be sooo boring without you. Keep on doing your shit America!

[–]Compatibilist 25 points26 points ago

So brave... I know I will get downvoted to oblivion for saying this but I think America is a pretty cool guy. eh kills terrists and doesn't afraid of anything.

[–]link_yourself_smart 23 points24 points ago

Dear other countries,

we're not qualitatively very different from you in good or bad ways. You do cool and stupid shit too.

Signed,

fellow Western, 1st world democracy.

[–]feureau 14 points15 points ago

Halp! I can't reach my back! Somebody pat me!!!

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points ago

I'm sure humans will quickly evolve into beings that can pat themselves on the back.

[–]pkonrad 12 points13 points ago

This should do you fine.

[–]ObeseSnake[!] 3 points4 points ago

Yeah me! Yeah me!

[–]opensandshuts 69 points70 points ago

It's also amazing that they managed to install instagram on that bad boy.

[–]StuporCollider 28 points29 points ago

Even harder to believe we've fought off their probes and have now landed a robot of our own on their homeworld.

We shall prevail!

[–]b0w3n 39 points40 points ago

Or 200 years ago was still using horse drawn carriages.

200 years from horse drawn carriages to landing devices/people on other surfaces in the solar system. That's huge.

[–]BiometricsGuy 34 points35 points ago

Yeah, but where is my damn flying car? The jetsons lied to me. The Jetsons also promised me a job where I could just push buttons all day. Oh wait...

[–]hypnoderp 12 points13 points ago

Compared to what?

EDIT: Not that I disagree with how impressive it is. . . I just don't have another technologically able species to compare to.

[–]mage608 39 points40 points ago

Compared to the technological growth of the thousands of years before.

[–]hypnoderp 13 points14 points ago

Fair point - the curve is getting pretty steep now, isn't it?

[–]Incruentus 14 points15 points ago

Which is both amazing and terrifying.

[–]b0w3n 3 points4 points ago

I'm still waiting on fusion though.

[–]original_locutus 4 points5 points ago

Mr. Fusion 3000

[–]Ddickerson03 2 points3 points ago

Gillette already makes that, and it has power technology for a closer shave...

[–]pjgamer77 9 points10 points ago

A few hundred?...Imagine what life was like simply 100 years ago, there are still a few people that can remember those days...wasn't that long ago in the scheme of things.

[–]Synux 56 points57 points ago

Imagine what NASA could do if it had decent funding.

[–]Choppa790 40 points41 points ago

Bomb the Moon.

[–]flagcaptured 7 points8 points ago

Check.

[–]Kind_Of_A_Dick 24 points25 points ago

We also send porn to each other at incredibly fast speeds. That's an accomplishment.

[–]kerred 2 points3 points ago

Yes, but that doesn't make a profit now, does it?

cuts Space Exploration budget

[–]RJ1989T 2 points3 points ago

now imagine where we could be without religion. Humanity would have progressed much more fluidly and our ceiling would be much much higher without religion.

[–]Malithion 231 points232 points ago

I'm so proud of these rovers.

[–]GiPwner 122 points123 points ago

I'm almost as proud of these rovers as I am of the men and women who made them and made the images and information they produce possible.

[–]ragweed 69 points70 points ago

Can the rover use its robot arm to write "Wash me" in the dust on itself? It's really let itself go.

[–]the_cunning_stunts 136 points137 points ago

Thank God that He made those planets for us to enjoy them. Praise the Lord!

[–]btnheazy03 21 points22 points ago

Ramen.

[–]GiPwner 47 points48 points ago

I actually lol'd.

[–]red321red321 12 points13 points ago

red rover red rover send marvin the martian over!

[–]work_whale 22 points23 points ago

Me too.

When we get to Mars we damn well better pick that little guy up, dust him off, give him a Star Wars style medal ceremony and give him an eternal pedestal in a science museum somewhere. He deserves it.

[–]CDBSB 5 points6 points ago

I would like to have one brought back and put in the Smithsonian, original dirt and all. Keep the other one on Mars on a pedestal in the middle of their version of Central Park.

These hard-chargers deserve no less.

[–]eyecite 12 points13 points ago

Man, they totally should call them Red Rovers.

[–]LincolnshireSausage 270 points271 points ago

I like the part where they edited out the alien city.

[–]maaaze 45 points46 points ago

And that face structure thing

[–]hypnosquid 37 points38 points ago

WAKE UP SHEEPLE!!

[–]amolad 11 points12 points ago

The cities and people on other planets are actually made out of what we are now calling "anti-matter" so we can't see them...unless they want us to.

What you are looking at is the solid physical plane of Mars which has not been inhabited for thousands and thousands of years, our time.

[–]t_Lancer 4 points5 points ago

wat?

[–]Adamzxd 7 points8 points ago

It's the herb man

[–]prasoc 176 points177 points ago

[–]jermh 117 points118 points ago

Makes me want to start a moisture farm.

[–]Timid_Pimp 90 points91 points ago

[–]Melnorme 2 points3 points ago

looks down

looks up as music swells

[–]frickindeal 53 points54 points ago

You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done.

[–]cshaiku 43 points44 points ago

But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!

[–]brynet 152 points153 points ago

[–]denemigen 4 points5 points ago

The future of reddit.

[–]skevimc 9 points10 points ago

Yep. All I think about with these pictures is, this happens everyday there. Existence exists on Mars. These rovers are able to be there to experience/record that existence. It's just so... I don't know... surreal?

[–]book1245 34 points35 points ago

Never one drop of rain on Arrakis.

[–]mcmurphy1 6 points7 points ago

And so begins our exploitative process of mining melange that will inevitably spark the first interplanetary war.

[–]wewd 8 points9 points ago

The spice must flow.

[–]Guysmiley777 45 points46 points ago

So much dust. I have the sudden urge to go nuts with a can of compressed air.

[–]SCSweeps 68 points69 points ago

That's why these rovers (Spirit and Opportunity specifically) were rated for 90 days of operational time. The dust accumulates on the rover's solar panels, diminishing the rovers ability to recharge its batteries, until it can no longer drive or communicate. In 2005, by sheer luck, a dust-devil going across the surface of Mars cleaned the solar panels of the Spirit rover, boosting the efficiency from 60% to 93%.

[–]Guysmiley777 20 points21 points ago

And the reason they didn't try to put any sort of wiper system on the panels to extend their life was in addition to added weight they didn't have the budget for, trying to mechanically wipe or brush the dust off would end up scratching the panels into uselessness. At the time nobody thought winds in the thin Martian atmosphere would amount to anything useful.

[–]Nicknam4 20 points21 points ago

Why couldn't they just have some sort of compressed air blow the panels clean?

[–]agildehaus 37 points38 points ago

Probably because of the complexity and weight of such a system, especially factoring in that they didn't expect these rovers to have lifespans measured in years.

The Mars Science Laboratory, landing in August, is nuclear. Solves the problem entirely.

[–]saltlakedave 4 points5 points ago

The Mars Science Laboratory, landing in August, is nuclear

What! What if the Martians get a hold of that nuclear technology. Now we've done it. Sigh...

[–]SCSweeps 25 points26 points ago

The next Mars rover, the "Mars Science Laboratory", won't have to deal with any of this. If you look at a picture of it, you'll notice there are no solar panels. The rover will be power by a radioisotope reactor (the big thing sticking out of the back at an angle), which eliminates any need for solar panels.

[–]He11razor 25 points26 points ago

Are you telling me that this sucker is nuclear?

[–]CF5 12 points13 points ago

You could say it's thermal. Sure it uses radioactive materials, but there's no fission reaction or anything.

[–]IAmAQuantumMechanic 2 points3 points ago

I know what you mean, but it's not strictly correct to phrase it like that. There's no sustained fission chain reaction, but the heat does come from a fission reaction - random nuclear decay.

[–]Second_Location 8 points9 points ago

Just don't tell...THE LIBYANS!

[–]SCSweeps 8 points9 points ago

This sucker's electrical, but it needs a nuclear reaction to generate the 125 watts to drive this thing.

[–]hypnosquid 2 points3 points ago

125 watts

So no time travel then? Booo.

[–]wewd 7 points8 points ago

A plutonium238 radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to be exact, giving it a power source for at least 14 years.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points ago

Couldn't they just have a few layers of very thin glass over the panels? After a certain time these glass layers (and the dust/dirt with it) would slide off leaving the panels all clear to receive more sunlight. Or would glass over the panels minimize the power from the sunlight?

[–]brainflakes 2 points3 points ago

What I read was that static would just cause the panels to dust up even quicker.

[–]patejam 4 points5 points ago

They really couldn't come up with any type of wiper system that would be light and effective?

[–]Tartan_Commando 9 points10 points ago

In 2005, by sheer luck, a dust-devil going across the surface of Mars cleaned the solar panels of the Spirit rover, boosting the efficiency from 60% to 93%.

My first thought was one of these. I rather like the idea of NASA sending vacuum cleaners to Mars to clean the dust from the rovers.

[–]knightofmars 2 points3 points ago

I thought it was a rogue dust devil, tearing across the galaxy and cleaning up unsuspecting dust!

[–]youre_thinkin_it 85 points86 points ago

Apologies for the ignorance, but why is it tented blue? Is this water/ice? Or is it a byproduct of the camera/lack of ozone/ some other effect?

[–]_masterBlaster_ 107 points108 points ago

"The scene is presented in false color to emphasize differences in materials such as dark dunes on the crater floor. This gives portions of the image an aqua tint. "

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20120522a.html

[–]patrik667 26 points27 points ago

I'm sorry but SCREW false colour. I feel cheated. Every time I see beautiful constellation, planets or supernovae pictures, this is my reaction

Can't they just take smaller, compressed, colour pics?

[–]thejmii 47 points48 points ago

Yeah, they should leave all of it in the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can't see - fucking assholes making it visible to us, keep within our biological limitations I say.

[–]thejmii 7 points8 points ago

I'm sorry but SCREW false colour. I feel cheated. Every time I see beautiful constellation, planets or supernovae pictures, this is my reaction

Can't they just take smaller, compressed, colour pics?

A much better reaction and to answer your edit: no. "True" colours exist only in the visible spectrum whereas most of their telescopes have sensors that go well beyond the visible spectrum - therefore there's no "true" colour to use for these frequencies and any colouring they do (even if it's consistent, e.g. they use red for all x frequences and green for all y frequencies) is by definition "false". Just because the colours are "false" doesn't mean it's not an accurate representation of what's there.

Moreover, as far as I understand it the colours that you see are consistent with particular frequencies (and other characteristics as well as context but we don't need to go into that) but the actual colours don't come from those frequencies. The colours come in "post production" in your head which means that they're technically "false" colours anyway.

[–]jnd-cz 3 points4 points ago

[–]slithymonster 2 points3 points ago

It's not all that different from a histogram stretch, which is standard practice for most pictures you see. You probably don't even notice.

[–]netbich 664 points665 points ago

instagram...

[–]Shiftycent 39 points40 points ago

It would have to be sepia and include a PBR and a fixed gear bicycle if it was instagram.

[–]gyrfalcons 125 points126 points ago

You mean more like this?

[–]dangerousjunction 45 points46 points ago

I just imagined the rover wearing a keffiyeh scarf

[–]gyrfalcons 122 points123 points ago

Like this?

[–]maaaze 27 points28 points ago

"I was on Mars before it was cool"

[–]Toribor 49 points50 points ago

[–]ultrastoat 19 points20 points ago

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have successfully sent a hipster to Mars.

[–]Show-Me-Your-Moves 23 points24 points ago

Hipster robot prefers to call the planet "Ares"

[–]ultrastoat 12 points13 points ago

Oh please, I was calling it Barsoom WAY before then.

[–]chrt 5 points6 points ago

I think if we push the idea that oxygen is so mainstream, we might be able to get all of them there someday.

[–]feureau 10 points11 points ago

a fixed gear bicycle

The NASA equivalent of this is the mars rover

[–]spaceicecream 10 points11 points ago

Don't they digitally add color afterwards?

[–]1919 15 points16 points ago

They do, but based off of what it would actually look like. They don't just go splashing paint to look pretty.

EDIT: Just to clarify, by 'actually look like' I don't mean that they find the true-to-eye color. I mean they designate colors to what they know in order to distinguish different factors. I.E if you've ever seen the famous Hubble image, those aren't the 'true' colors, but the colors do distinguish truly what it would 'look' like. They differentiate the different elements accurately.

[–]Delaywaves 7 points8 points ago

Is there a reason why they can't just take a normal color photo? Why do they have to add color?

[–]Riddla26 18 points19 points ago

It's hard enough and takes long enough transmitting black and white per pixel data anywhere from 36 million miles to over 250 million miles back to Earth (because of elliptical orbits), if shots were actually taken in colour, one picture could take years days to receive, I'm pretty sure this one took at least a few days to be downloaded and processed, as far as I know you're looking at transmission rates of much less than 1Kb/s.

Edit: According to a recent article from February, the transmission rate is actually 256,000 bits per second = just under 245Kb/s! TIL!

[–]Zeppelanoid 62 points63 points ago

Tl;DR Mars' internet is mad slow.

[–]Retanaru 6 points7 points ago

At 245kb/s it would only take minutes to download a picture like this.

[–]BluShine 5 points6 points ago

Or to put it another way: NASA doesn't hire someone to use Photoshop and add color to make it look better. They use imaging data from the cameras to create a depth channel, and then map that to a color. The rover normally shoots 3D photos (two cameras), but they use math to turn the 3D into data, and then show that data as color. So, it's kind of like those red/blue 3D movies, but without the double-image.

Also important to note is that the sky on mars is slightly bluish, and there are some bluish rocks on the surface. Of course, it depends on the angle of the sun, the amount of dust in there air, and the color balance on the image. And due to the composition of the atmosphere, "Raleigh scattering" will look blue. So Martian sunsets are blue instead of orange.

[–]jnd-cz 3 points4 points ago

Sorry, but your assumptions are wrong and this isn't true at all. Stereoscopic (not 3D) images are shown separately (example) and they aren't usually colored because the two cameras use different filters. The left camera has most filters for visible light and therefore is used for these composed images. They can however add emphasis from invisible wavelengths to show the rock composition which wouldn't be otherwise noticed (not really in this case, they used mostly visible filters). But it doesn't mean they enhance for more depth.

Check the photo description, raw images from rover from that day and the file naming coding to see the facts for yourself.

[–]prasoc 2 points3 points ago

NASA isn't known for making its photos look real. They take photos from different parts of the light spectrum and attach it to the RGB channels. False colour. They do this a lot with Hubble telescope photographs to emphasise certain elements (and makes it look good)

[–]HandyCore 2 points3 points ago

The color in these photos are artificial. The sensors and cameras on the rovers are built for scientific research, which doesn't care so much for pretty pictures, so they focus on spectrums outside the human visual.

The same is true for Hubble. When you see pictures from Hubble, they are all artificially colored to highlight various things. And those photos are really just the junk data that isn't very interesting or useful for scientists. The useful data that Hubble provides would be unrecognizable as space to an untrained eye.

[–]Takaichi 34 points35 points ago

Well, didn't imgur just give me the most interesting link ever (NSFW) for this post.

[–]MechEng2723 3 points4 points ago

I was wondering if I was the only one.

[–]Iamametameta 2 points3 points ago

Quite stunning. I just got that also.

[–]bezaorj 2 points3 points ago

Mars Rover indeed took a stunning photo.

[–]StewieBanana 61 points62 points ago

I'm glad we spent the money to send the Mars Rover to photography school beforehand.

[–]hollingm 26 points27 points ago

The first rule of vacation photography is to put people in your picture. FAIL.

[–]Block_After_Block 3 points4 points ago

Maybe someday we will meet some aliens who will take a picture of the rover for us, as long as it asks nicely.

[–]teethbeef 13 points14 points ago

Perfect location for Mars Vegas!

[–]thisnakedlunch 14 points15 points ago

marijuana from mars?

[–]eggsandbeans 2 points3 points ago

I also just see a big bud. Confused.

[–]Zethos 33 points34 points ago

It amazes me that there is something man made just rolling around taking pictures on a distant PLANET that we haven't even stepped on. Its a whole new world there.

I can't wait till space travel becomes cheap enough for it to become the next frontier for explorers. I mean Columbus and friends were cool and all but this will be even cooler. o:

[–]DiabloConQueso 31 points32 points ago

I think this every time I break out the telescope and gaze at that tiny, red dot in the sky -- which still looks like a tiny, red dot in the sky even through some serious magnification.

We shot a flame-powered bullet off of this earth, sent it hurdling toward somewhere in the sky, and it traveled for months before perfectly and safely crash-landing onto another planet... 100 million kilometers away.

Then, some chemical reactions took place that we carefully planned within a thing called a "battery," energizing some metal wires, and a semi-autonomous robot capable of communicating back across 100 million kilometers began, what we thought would be a short, few months journey... that ended up doubling or tripling in lifespan.

Not to mention we can remote-control those fuckers. REMOTE CONTROLLED VEHICLES on another planet.

I wish I could catch a glimpse of the sun reflecting off of some shiny part of these robots when I gaze at Mars through my telescope, though I know that's impossible. It would just make it that much more real in my mind -- if, not only could I process the fruits of their labor via images sent back across space, but if I could also point and say, "There. Right there. We put that there. We control that thing. We can now see and experience Mars as close to first-hand as possible."

It gives me chills of amazement and satisfaction and hope just thinking about this.

[–]born_again_atheist 10 points11 points ago

I can't wait till space travel becomes cheap enough for it to become the next frontier for explorers. I mean Columbus and friends were cool and all but this will be even cooler. o:

I'm just extremely depressed that I most likely won't be alive to see, or participate in it. I have said most of my life I was born about 100 years too early for my liking.

[–]deft0n3s 34 points35 points ago

You'd probably say the same thing if you were born 100 years from now.

[–]born_again_atheist 4 points5 points ago

You are probably right.

[–]HE_WHO_STANDS_TO_POO 66 points67 points ago

Man, I just know something is out there. There has to be something. Water, life, John Carter. SOMETHING. And even if there isn't, the mystery of the planet is just intriguing.

[–]cal679 62 points63 points ago

What blows my mind even more right now is that this thing, this little buggy thing that a bunch of very clever people designed and built is just out there casting a shadow on Mars. I can't comprehend it, can't put into words how baffled the whole situation leaves me.

[–]Listening_Heads 26 points27 points ago

Whenever I think of these things I imagine the loneliness of it. The sound of it traversing the terrain. The only sound on the whole planet maybe. To think that there aren't even little critters up there with it (that we know of). It's just dust, rocks, and that little guy rolling around doing work. Amazing and a little sad.

[–]andash 15 points16 points ago

Poor rovers :(

(Obligatory)

[–]hypnoderp 37 points38 points ago

This comment more than the others made it hit home for me. This time instead of a big red planet it put mars in the context I normally see it in: A little red sparkle in the night sky. We've sent something there? Fuck me.

EDIT: Some words, like sparkle

[–]DeepBlue12 2 points3 points ago

It didn't quite hit home until I read this. Whoa.

[–]G-Riz 2 points3 points ago

Even more impressive is the fact that right now a man-made object is just casting a shadow on Titan. A goddamn moon of Saturn. Holy fuck.

[–]fountainsoda 19 points20 points ago

I'll tell you what's out there. The future of planet Earth if we don't get our shit together.

[–]BattleClown 12 points13 points ago

VIRGINIA!

[–]ForeverTheUnderdog 6 points7 points ago

I hear Barsoom is lovely this time of year!

[–]hypnoderp 3 points4 points ago

There's probably a shit ton of liquid water on Europa. More than earth has.
http://io9.com/5913104/theres-more-water-on-jupiters-moon-europa-than-there-is-on-earth

[–]RogueA 2 points3 points ago

So to Terraform, we just crash Europa into Mars? Brilliant!

[–]HowardBeale1 10 points11 points ago

Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. 

[–]SAmatador 10 points11 points ago

Can we all just take a second step back from our computer and comprehend that we're looking at another planet and what that means? Amazing.

[–]toonfool 31 points32 points ago

I got a naked lady! :)

[–]Valdair 5 points6 points ago

So did I. I feel dirty now. It's one thing to get naked pictures when you wanted them, it's another for them to just start butting in randomly.

[–]SaltyChristian 4 points5 points ago

Same. Something fucked up on RES

[–]notaprettygirl 4 points5 points ago

That's what I got too. I was so confused so I came to the comments which didn't help even a little bit, until I saw this series of comments like halfway down. It's been a total wtf couple minutes.

[–]Toribor 21 points22 points ago

Happening to me too. Must be imgur. Fucking weed everywhere.

Or... THERE IS WEED ON MARS!

[–]Pandalism 23 points24 points ago

[–]keveready 2 points3 points ago

No you're viewing the link correctly. We found weed on Mars.

[–]Volte6 2 points3 points ago

me too... i've seen similar swaps on other postings too. I dunno what's up.

[–]pmjm 31 points32 points ago

TIL Mars looks like Utah.

[–]jonathanrdt 27 points28 points ago

Mars has looked like that longer than Utah has.

So really Utah looks like Mars.

[–]hiptarded 8 points9 points ago

this picture is on ANOTHER. FUCKING. PLANET. just think about that for a minute.

[–]airwolf420 12 points13 points ago

why do I just see a big nug of weed?

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points ago

Holy shit! If you look at the bottom of the picture there is obviously signs of advanced life! Its some sort of solar cell arrangement! Also that shadow. There is no way thats a natural formation

Checkmate Christians.

[–]Sarcastyx 18 points19 points ago

Imagine. That expanse of hundreds of square miles, and not a single spider to inhabit it. You are living my dream, brave little mars rover.

[–]bryeen 10 points11 points ago

Was this a naked girl for anyone else?

[–]xxkemmyxcookiexx 2 points3 points ago

That's out of this world!...... eh eh?

[–]QuiteBoringName 5 points6 points ago

Might be a silly question, but is the rover controlled by someone on earth like an RC car or is it completely automated?

[–]Number127 9 points10 points ago

Somewhere in between. The rover is too slow and the communications lag time between earth and Mars is too long (somewhere between 4 and 20 minutes each way, depending where the planets are in their orbits) for RC-type control to be practical. So, they give it "program updates" to follow and the rover does what it's told.

[–]QuiteBoringName 2 points3 points ago

Thanks! Very interesting!

[–]Mark0Sky 3 points4 points ago

Maybe even better, with just a bit of tone mapping: http://i.imgur.com/CBgBU.jpg

[–]grrff 26 points27 points ago

[–]CStaplesLewis 11 points12 points ago

awwwww sadrover

[–]ajw827 2 points3 points ago

I hate this comic. It breaks my heart. The little guy came through for years more than expected. I grew attached despite knowing it's just a machine.

[–]ladd3rg04t 3 points4 points ago

I was hoping no one had linked this yet. He's at least getting a use now.Maybe they'll pick him up one day.

[–]pasmeme 17 points18 points ago

It pysically hurts me to see this. I let go of my dream of becoming an astronaut because of a difficulty with math. When I was 11 I wrote a 15pg "book" titled "Terraforming Mars". It was set in 2020 and starts with the confirmation call from NASA informing me that I will be on the mission.

Ever since I can remember I've wanted off this planet. Not out of disappointment in man kind, but because of the incomprehensible potential of the universe and our applied knowledge.

I'm interested in travel just as much as the next person, but no matter where I go it's just people. For me, the best part of travelling around the world is the moment on a red eye flight, on a clear night, when I can see the atmosphere above, separately. Once, I cried into my sleeve while looking out the plane window because the curvature of the Earth was so clear and profound that I was thrown into a fit of overwhelming anxiety. In a way it made me feel more trapped, but reassured me that there is so much more...

If I could choose how to die it would be in space. Fuck, being lost in space would be the closest thing to heaven I can conceive of.

[–]IamJacksEnnui 2 points3 points ago

The essay that you wrote sounds like it was probably interesting. I loved the sentiment of your post.

[–]InappropriatePenguin 5 points6 points ago

I think that being lost in space would be the most boring thing imaginable. It'd be billions and billions of miles of literally nothing in between anything interesting.

[–]Sure_lll_Eat_That 4 points5 points ago

I wonder if the martian dust is compromising the voltage generation of the PV cells on the rover? It sure looks like there's a pretty thick crust built up.

[–]noahtron 14 points15 points ago

yup, but every once in a while a dust devil passes over and cleans 'em off! this wasn't planned for, and it's one of the reasons the rover has lasted so much longer than expected.

[–]usualghost 4 points5 points ago

He's alone there 225 trillion meters away

Alone on an unknown planet, at freezing temperatures of hundreds of Celsius below zero

Roving and roving and roving for almost 8 years...alone..

Clicking away pictures for your amusement here on Earth..

[–]Skwerley 2 points3 points ago

Am I the only one who is getting this?

[–]Alpha_Angel 3 points4 points ago

Am I the only one getting a link to this? I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. It's just I'd like to see what everyone else is seeing.

[–]kowalski71 3 points4 points ago

This is another planet. My mind is having a really hard time getting over that. Wild.

[–]psyder3k 9 points10 points ago

There's aliens in them thar mountains

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

Can't wait for Suriv_Dnim to take credit for this.

[–]Raurtom 2 points3 points ago

Spot the alien

[–]Buckguy11 2 points3 points ago

The little pole at the bottom left is a sundial, Bill Nye came to my school (Ohio State) and talked for a little while about it. MARSDIAL

[–]Simco_ 2 points3 points ago

You can see Fremen on the horizon.

[–]Bendrake 2 points3 points ago

It always trips me out to think about mars. The river just driving around and windstorms going on all around. It continues to exist like it has for years and years although we don't think about it much. Crazy deep unorganized thoughts.

[–]beanso 2 points3 points ago

Jesus, every rover with a camera thinks it's a photographer now.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

Sandy, rocky, bone dry and no intelligent life for a very, very long distance around. Are you sure it's not a picture of Arizona?

[–]unohoo09 3 points4 points ago

I know we'd never see this, but wouldn't it be fascinating if one day NASA released an image of an ocean on Mars?

[–]TysonStoleMyPanties 1 point2 points ago

Absolutely breathtaking.

[–]gwmawboom 1 point2 points ago

Too awesome, gives me chills

[–]just_a_quantum_dot 1 point2 points ago

First thought: Holy crap, this is amazing! Second thought: oh, that little guy sure got dirty...

[–]Luminair 1 point2 points ago

Here's to MSL making a safe landing in a few months!

[–]dhaft88 1 point2 points ago

Makes me think of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles

[–]subsetr 1 point2 points ago

That mars rover is a fucking hero.

[–]Medane 1 point2 points ago

Is that..Opportunity? I remember watching some PBS show about their launch back when I was obsessed with space and blackholes and other shit like that.
Also...
R.I.P. Spirit.

[–]GrooveCombo 1 point2 points ago

It always irritated me how the Mars Rovers lack color cameras so they have to be artificially colored. Regardless, gorgeous picture.

[–]audifan 1 point2 points ago

tataouine

[–]MonotonousMan 1 point2 points ago

I think what gets me the most with these sorts of pictures is just looking at the ground. The edges.... the contours.... the dust on the rover. They are the closest i'll ever get to experiencing a martian planet. Like going to a beach on the other side of the world and getting to dig your feet into their unique looking sand for the first time - that's how these pictures make me feel...The details taking place of my feet in the sand, I guess.

[–]senjutsuka 1 point2 points ago

How are you still operating?! You're covered in dust! Bravo old rover, bravo.

[–]sryguys 1 point2 points ago

I'm glad they added a joystick in case some Martian wants to play with it.

[–]krov 1 point2 points ago

It blows my mind that this is on a different PLANET