Say Cheese! Curiosity Rover Takes Stunning Selfie on Mars (PHOTO)

The image depicts the car-size mobile lab surrounded by dark brown sand.

The selfie, comprised of 57 separate photographs, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera on January 19 while the rover was exploring the Namib Dune, digging into the sand for samples.

A huge complex of dark sand, the desert-like area, named the "Bagnold Dune Field," including the Namib Dune, has been the subject of investigation for almost 60 days, as scientists seek a clearer picture of how Martian dunes form in surface winds.

The rover's arm was used to take the spectacular shot without the arm itself visible.

NASA scientists have acquired several striking Curiosity selfies, including "Rocknest" (PIA16468), "Windjana" (PIA18390) and "Buckskin" (PIA19807).