NASA releases Perseverance panorama of Neretva Vallis on Mars

NASA and NASA Science published a 360-degree view of Neretva Vallis within Jezero Crater on Mars. The panorama shows a windswept and dusty environment that hosted a river channel billions of years ago. The river once fed fresh water into the crater. [1][3]

The composite image was stitched together using 217 individual photographs captured by the Mastcam-Z instrument on May 20, 2024. This date marked the 1,155th Martian day, or sol, of the uncrewed mission. Arizona State University leads operations for the Mastcam-Z camera system, which processed enhanced color bands to accentuate physical differences in the landscape. [1]

NASA and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported that observations of dust by Perseverance offer clues to protect future astronaut crews from Martian dust. The uncrewed Perseverance rover landed in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, after launching aboard an Atlas V rocket on July 30, 2020. Built and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the car-sized rover explores the crater delta to search for signs of past microbial life. [2][4][5]

In 2024, Perseverance discovered a rock named Cheyava Falls within Jezero Crater that contains organic compounds. NASA described the rock as possessing qualities that fit the definition of a possible indicator of ancient life, highlighting the scientific importance of exploring ancient Martian waterways. [6]