Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2021 February 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      Perseverance: How to Land on Mars
                 Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL, [5]Mars 2020

   Explanation: Slung beneath its rocket powered descent stage
   [6]Perseverance hangs only a few meters above the martian surface,
   captured here moments before its February 18 touchdown on the Red
   Planet. [7]The breath-taking view followed an [8]intense seven minute
   trip from the top of the martian atmosphere. Part of a high resolution
   video, the picture was taken from the descent stage itself during the
   final [9]skycrane landing maneuver. Three taut mechanical cables about
   7 meters long are visible lowering Perseverance, along with an
   electrical umbilical connection feeding signals (like this image), to a
   computer on board the car-sized rover. Below Perseverance streamers of
   martian dust are kicked-up from the surface by the descent rocket
   engines. Immediately [10]after touchdown, the cables were released
   allowing the descent stage to fly to a safe distance before exhausting
   its fuel as planned.

                   Tomorrow's picture: the stars in a rose
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC
                           & [31]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2102/rover_drop.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-sends-sneak-peek-of-mars-landing
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/content/perseverance-mars-rovers-first-images
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210216.html
   9. https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/entry-descent-landing/
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/perseverance-s-first-full-color-look-at-mars
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210219.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210220
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210221.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. http://www.mtu.edu/