Curiosity shot a POV video, which was the last before a long pause
The Curiosity rover recorded a Martian day, tracking changes from sunrise to sunset. This unique 12-hour footage was recorded using black and white Hazcams.
A Martian day, called a sol, is 24 hours, 37 minutes and 22 seconds. The video did not reveal any significant weather patterns observed during this time, but it does clearly show the rover's shadow moving across the sandy surface of Mars. The photo was taken from 5:30 am to 5:30 pm local time.
The filming took place as part of the rover's 4002 mission. Curiosity, which is among the largest and most powerful rovers ever sent to Mars, was designed to explore the conditions that may have supported microbial life on the planet in the past.
Typically, the Curiosity rover's Hazcams are used to detect obstacles, such as rocks and slopes, in the rover's path as it moves across the surface of the Red Planet. However, before the holiday season, Curiosity was temporarily suspended due to the position of the Sun. During this time, solar plasma may interfere with communications between Earth and the rover for several weeks.
So, the team decided to use the last available opportunity to send a command for the rover to record video footage before communication restrictions began. In the first part of the video, you can see the southeast direction through the Gediz Valley, located at an altitude of 5 kilometers on Mount Sharp, Gale Crater. The second part of the video captures views from the rover's rear camera, designed to avoid danger. The camera looks northwest toward the slopes of Mount Sharp and the floor of Gale Crater.
In the video on the 17th frame you can see a small black stripe, which is caused by the cosmic ray hitting the camera sensor. Later in the video, a bright flash and noise are clearly visible due to the heat generated by the rover's power system.