NASA may not be sending up manned shuttles anymore, but that doesn't mean we're done exploring the solar system—not by a long shot. On August 5th, the space agency's new flagship rover is expected to land on Mars as part of an unprecedented search for traces of life on the Red Planet. You can ascertain the rover's importance simply by its size. This thing is huge compared to NASA's previous explorers, Spirit and Opportunity. Curiosity measures 10 feet long, 9 feet wide, and seven feet tall—taller than the average NBA Center—weighing a hefty 2000 pounds. NASA's previous pair weighed just 408 pounds apiece. Tack on the added reach of Curiosity's seven-foot long manipulation arm and the rover has roughly a two-story vertical reach. Not that there are many two-story-tall objects around the rover's planned landing site but a good ability to have, nonetheless.

Like a tourist waiting for just the right lighting to snap a favorite shot during a stay at the Grand Canyon, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has used a low sun angle for a memorable view of a large Martian crater. The resulting view catches a shadow of the rover in the foreground and the giant basin in the distance. Opportunity is perched on the western rim of Endeavour Crater looking eastward. The crater spans about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. Opportunity has been studying the edge of Endeavour Crater since arriving there in August 2011. The scene is presented in false color to emphasize differences in materials such as dark dunes on the crater floor. This gives portions of the image an aqua tint.