Mars Rover Curiosity Photographed From Space (PICTURES)

PICS: Mars Rover Curiosity Photographed From Space

The Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers are celebrating 10 years on Mars this month - but it looks like it's the newer Curiosity rover which has caught the eye of Nasa's orbiting satellites.

The American space agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took the picture of the 1-ton rover on December 11, but it's only just been released by Nasa.

The image shows the tracks of the massive rover across the Martian surface - the two parallel lines are actually about ten feet apart.

Above: Curiosity can be seen in the lower left of the picture

Nasa also released another full-colour video, which shows the tracks of the rover across the surface but not the robot itself.

"This enhanced colour image shows where the rover zigzagged to avoid steep slopes and other obstacles on its route toward its long-term destination on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp ," Nasa said.

The Curiosity rover landed on Mars in August 2012, and is currently midway through its mission to examine the surface for signs that liquid water once flowed on its surface, and that the planet might have once hosted life.

The robot is currently on its way to an area known as Mount Sharp, which scientists say could be an excellent place to look for microbial life - or the conditions that could have allowed it to flourish.

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