It's the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a device capable of capturing images with a resolution of 15.4 microns per pixel. That's about twice as high as the resolution on Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. The device will fly on NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission in late 2011, attached to Mars Rover Curiosity's articulated arm.I wonder how they're going to wipe dust off the lens...
Using this camera, geologists would be able to get closer than ever to every rock or sand pit, analyzing the images to study their composition as if they were on the planet itself.
Photo from NASA, via Gizmodo.
The fact that this is going to mars is neat, but from a photography standpoint this is nothing out of the ordinary.
ReplyDeleteThe current generation entry-level canon SLR has a sensor 24mm across and ~5000 pixels across. The kit lens than comes with the camera can focus down to 1:2.5 macro ratio, which would be 60mm across.
So off the shelf a rebel t2i gives you 12 microns per pixel.
I have a fairly specialised macro rig, and spend most of my time under 1 micron per pixel.