- Original Caption Released with Image:
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Stars in the upper portion of the constellation Orion the Hunter,
including the bright shoulder star Betelgeuse and Orion's three-star
belt, appear in this image taken from the surface of Mars by the
panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.
Spirit imaged stars on March 11, 2004, after it awoke during the martian
night for a communication session with NASA's Mars Global Surveyor
orbiter. This image is an eight-second exposure. Longer exposures were
also taken. The images tested the capabilities of the rover for night-sky
observations. Scientists will use the results to aid planning for
possible future astronomical observations from Mars.
- Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/Cornell
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