NASA’s Perseverance Rover Captures 360-Degree View of 'Crocodile Bridge' on Jezero Crater Rim

Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to create a 360-degree panorama of 'Crocodile Bridge' on the rim of Jezero Crater. The panorama is composed of 980 images: 971 captured on the 1,717th Martian day (sol) of the mission, and nine more on sol 1,754. The view is processed to appear in natural color, similar to what the human eye would see.

The Jezero Crater rim contains some of the oldest rocks in the solar system, providing insight into Mars' early history during the formation of its crust and atmosphere. This ancient terrain is notable because Mars, unlike Earth, lacks tectonic plates that recycle surface materials.

'Crocodile Bridge' is a transition zone into an area known as 'Lac de Charmes,' which Perseverance is expected to explore further in the coming months. The Mastcam-Z instrument is operated by Arizona State University, with contributions from Malin Space Science Systems and the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages rover operations as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.