The deck of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is so dusty that the
rover almost blends into the dusty background in this image assembled from
frames taken by the panoramic camera (Pancam) during the period from
Spirit's Sol 1,355 through Sol 1,358 (Oct. 26-29, 2007).
Dust on the solar panels reduces the amount of electrical power the rover
can generate from sunlight each sol. Earlier self-portraits by Spirit,
such as one taken on Sol 586 (PIA03272), offer a comparison view of cleaner
solar panels.
The vertical projection used here produces the best view of the rover
deck, though it distorts the ground and antennas somewhat. The
eight-pointed star shape near the front of the rover (bottom of the image)
marks the location of the camera mast, which is out of view of the Pancam
atop the mast.
This mosaic view in approximate true color is a composite of frames taken
through the Pancam's filters centered on wavelengths of 600 nanometers,
530 nanometers and 480 nanometers.