Curiosity: Brain Transplant Time...

For most of this weekend, Curiosity will not be doing any science activities – it's busy getting a “brain transplant” (that's how the NASA PR folks describe it, not me!).  What that really means is they are very carefully installing new software.  This new software is more focused on the kinds of activities Curiosity will be engaged with on the ground.  The previous software was more focused on the cruise and descent phase, and much of it is no longer needed.  This software upgrade is expected to take nearly all weekend.

Meanwhile, there's a nice full-resolution black & white panorama to view (below, click to enlarge).  There are several interesting things on here.  At the top edge, spread across about half the panorama just to the right of center you can see the base of Mt. Sharp.  That's the direction Curiosity will be heading once it starts to roll.  The knolls visible in that direction are Curiosity's first research target.  Just below the right edge of Mt. Sharp, in the foreground, you can see two of the scoured-out places where the sky crane's rocket exhaust blew the dust off the bedrock.  The very close parts showing Curiosity itself are oddly sliced up; this is an artifact of the panorama “stitching” process.  Close subjects are always challenging in panoramas, as the camera displacement (while panning) introduces parallax error.  All over the visible surface one can see gravel and some rocks that appear to be fist-sized.  Lots of things for Curiosity to look at!