Interactive Mars panorama: As close as you'll get to being there

Interactive Mars panorama: As close as you'll get to being there

Get a feel for what a vacation to Mars would look like with a moveable 360-degree view stitched together from images sent back by the Curiosity rover.

Take a visual trip to Mars.

(Credit: Screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)

My brother sometimes threatens to run away and join the eventual one-way human mission to Mars. He can get a better idea of what would await him by checking out an interactive, panoramic view of the planet as seen by the Curiosity rover.

Panographer Andrew Bodrov posted an explorable image of Mars to 360Cities. This is what it would it would look like if Google had been able to attach a Street View camera to the rover. You can have a look at it below.

You can zoom and rotate the image to get a detailed, immersive view of the rocky surface, horizon, and the rover itself. It's the next best thing to being there, but without the crushing cold and lack of oxygen.

The Curiosity panorama will also connect you to a Spirit rover panorama, where this tracks image comes from.

(Credit: Screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)

(Credit: Blake Stevenson)

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Stay tuned!

Get new Mars Curiosity Rover photos in your inbox

(Credit: NASA)

The photos and videos coming from NASA and the Curiosity Rover on Mars are truly stunning. It's fun, exciting, and even a little puzzling at times to see the landscape and how another planet so far away compares to Earth.

Both the official NASA and Mars Curiosity Twitter accounts are great sources to keep up on the latest news and photos coming from the brave little rover so far from home. But, we can't sit and watch Twitter all day long, making the chance of missing a photo a real possibility.

While browsing If This Then That shared recipes today, I stumbled upon a solution to this potential problem. Ifttt user lsalvador was kind enough to create and share a recipe that monitors both the Mars Curiosity Twitter account, as well as NASA's Twitter account for links to a photo in the body of tweets.

If the recipe finds an image or photo in the tweet, you'll receive an e-mail with the photo and a link to the tweet, ensuring you don't miss out on any potential Martian sightings.

To add the recipe to your account, visit this Web page and click on the Use Recipe at the bottom of the page. If you're new to Ifttt, you'll have to allow Ifttt to access your Twitter account and designate an e-mail address in order for the recipe to work.

If you're looking for a really cool view of Mars, make sure to check out this panoramic picture. It's even better when you view it from your iOS device.

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