Instant Alert: NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is snapping pictures of something unlike anything it has encountered before

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is snapping pictures of something unlike anything it has encountered before by Jessica Orwig on Feb 1, 2016, 3:25 PM Advertisement Right now, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is doing something very exciting: shoveling sand.  Last December, the rover reached a brand new territory called Bagnold Dunes, which is rich with one of Mars' most iconic landscapes: dunes.  The Bagnold Dunes are located on the Northwestern flank of Mount Sharp, which is a mountain at the center of Gale Crater. Now, the rover is scooping up samples of the grains and offering an unprecedented view and examination of what they're made of. Check out some of the amazing pictures Curiosity is sending back:   LEARN MORE: We're on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy — here's what will happen to Earth SEE ALSO: Neil deGrasse Tyson's favorite science joke will make you smarter This is Curiosity's latest selfie in Bagnold Dunes, which is composite of 57 different photos captured on Jan. 19. To test the sands, the rover recently dug one of its 20-inch wheels into a nearby dune. You can see the tire marks at the center: Notice how the landscape contrasts with the rocky terrain at the "Big Sky" site that Curiosity crossed last October. For years, scientists knew from satellite images that Mars had a surprisingly active climate that could shift sand dunes. Now, Curiosity is smack in the middle of the Bagnold Dunes territory (shown below), which has dunes that move up to three feet every Earth year. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011