This animated GIF composed of descent images captured by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover as it headed towards landing is better than all the kittens on the internet combined. The video version is here. (via @nasasocial).

  • EH

    warning: turn noscript on

    • TaymonBeal

      Why?

      • EH

        i got an autoplay video ad

  • John Stewart

    Are we seeing the top of the rover at the beginning from the point of view of the orbiting sister ship and then Mars from the point of view of the rover?

    • http://thisisonlya.blogspot.com robcat2075

      The disc falling away at the beginning is the ejected heat shield. All the images are from the POV of the rover, camera aimed down.

    • allium

      I like to think of MRO and Mars Odyssey (the orbiters from 2001 and 2006 that handled communications and took pictures of the parachute) not as sisters, but as awesome great-aunts who happen to live in the town where Curiosity is going to college.

      Do I engage in pathetic fallacy? Very well then I engage in pathetic fallacy. I am large; I contain multitudes.

  • Guest

    “OH SHIIIIIIIIII—”

  • David Carroll

    Xeni, I don’t think you can state that this GIF is better than all the kittens on the internet combined before actually combining all of the internet kittens.  I estimate this will take about 8 years, and require 2.5 Billion USD.  This includes the cost of a public contest for a cute name.