Stunning Red Planet Panorama Captured by Mars Rover Opportunity

Mars rover Opportunity has spent more than 8 years on the Red Planet exploring, analyzing and, like any good tourist, snapping photos. And one of the most recent and stunning photos from the six-wheeled explorer is the panorama you see above.

It’s a panorama of an area called “Greeley Haven,” and it was put together using 817 images taken between December 21st, 2011 and May 8th, 2012. The picture is being called “the next best thing to being there,” so if you’re not planning a trip to Mars anytime soon, be sure to check out a larger version of the image here (photo number 9).

(via The Verge)

Image credits: NASA, JPL-CalTech, Cornell and ASU