Close-up of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has recently used for the first time the camera positioned on its arm to take photos at night, equipped with white lights and ultraviolet lights this camera brings a new perspective to the research. Scientists developed the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument to get a closer look during the nighttime at rocks such as "Sayunei," in an area where Curiosity's front-left wheel had scuffed the rock to provide fresh, dust-free materials to examine. This is very relevant because this rock is close to where the rover team plans to start the drilling process in the upcoming weeks. This means that with the nighttime camera fully functional, the team can drill at anytime of the day. The MAHLI, an adjustable-focus color camera, includes its own LED (light-emitting diode) illumination sources. The MAHLI Principal Investigator Ken Edgett of Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego explores the meaning of the camera, as "the purpose of acquiring observations under ultraviolet illumination was to look for fluorescent minerals." Source:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1416
Engineering Group: Jesus Bohorquez, Katherine Garcia.
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