Daybreak on Mars, at Gale Crater

Image Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory - click to enlarge

This image shows Mars between darkness and daylight, and includes a glimpse of the Gale Crater. Gale is the crater with a mound inside it near the center of the image. Gale Crater will be the landing site for Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory. The mission's rover will be placed on the ground in Gale Crater in August 2012.   Gale Crater is 96 miles in diameter with a mountain rising about 3 miles (higher than Mt. Rainier) above the crater floor. This image was captured from the Mars Orbiter.

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