“好奇号”的清晰自拍照

NASA’s Curiosity rover hasn’t been doing much roving lately. Instead, it’s been sitting pretty on Mars for the last week or so, waving its robotic arm all over the place.

美国宇航局的好奇号近期没有很大的动静。它在火星上停留约一周左右，在该处挥舞着它的机械手臂。

The purpose of this exercise isn’t to wait idly around but rather to do a detailed investigation of all its various high-tech instruments, in particular the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), which sits at the end of Curiosity’s arm. MAHLI is capable of taking extremely close-up images, resolving down to about 15 microns, or half the diameter of a human hair. The camera has been combing the rover with its high-magnification powers, calibrating and giving it a good once-over.

好奇号这次训练的目的不是无所事事地等待着，而是对它的各种高科技的设备进行一次详细的检测，特别是火星手持透镜成像仪（MAHLI),该设备位于好奇号手臂的末端。好奇号能够拍摄极致的特写镜头，小道大约15微米，或者是人类头发的半径。照相机赋予好奇号高倍放大的能力，校正能力和很好的扫视能力。

For those anxious for the rover to get somewhere, the wait is almost over. By Friday, this testing and characterization phase of Curiosity’s mission will be done. Then “the plan is to drive, drive, drive,” said the rover’s mission manager, Jennifer Trosper, during a NASA press conference on Sept. 12. Curiosity will soon reach an area known as Glenelg, where it will conduct its first major science experiments, and then find a sandy location in Gale crater to practice its scooping and analysis.

因为焦虑地等待着去别处巡视，好奇号的等待即将结束。至周五，好奇号的任务中的检测和表征阶段即将结束。在9月12号的一次美国宇航局的记者见面会上，好奇号任务的总负责人Jennifer Trosper说：“计划是推进，推进，推进。”好奇号不久将到达一个叫做Glenelg的区域，在那里它将首次进行它的第一个科学实验，并找到位于Gale火山口的一块演示区进行挖掘和分析训练。

Here we take a look at some shots from the detailed inspection that the rover has given itself during the past week.

在此，我们看一下在上一周好奇号拍摄的一些细节性镜头。

Above: Hello MAHLI

以上：Hello MAHLI

This image shows Curiosity’s turret, situated at the end of the robotic arm. Centered in the picture is MAHLI, the close-up camera. MAHLI’s four LED lights, which allow it to work at night, are on and the camera’s dust cover is lowered. Scientists wanted to inspect the instrument before opening the cover to make sure it wouldn’t get damaged. The photo was taken using Curiosity’s MastCams.

这张图片展示了好奇号的位于机械臂末端的瞄准镜。位于照片中心的是MAHLI，透镜成像仪。MAHLI的四个LED灯使得它可以在夜间工作，并且可以降低成像仪的灰尘覆盖率。科学家们希望在打开机盖前检测设备，以确保机盖不会被损坏。照片由好奇号上的MastCams进行拍摄。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

图片：NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Calibration Close-Up

校准特写

One of Curiosity’s calibration targets can be seen in this image, zoomed in close using MAHLI. It is part of a larger plaque that helps adjust the camera’s color scheme (below).

在这幅画面里可以看到好奇号的一个准焦，用MAHLI在近处放大。斑块的一部分可帮助调整相机的配色方案（如下）。

Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

图像：NASA/JPL-Caltech/精准空间科学系统

SAM Cover

SAM Cover

A close-up image shows one cover for the rover’s SAM instrument, with its cover closed. SAM is essentially Curiosity’s “nose” and can sniff the Martian atmosphere to determine its composition. Scientists are eagerly awaiting information from SAM, which may shed light on conflicting signals that point to methane — a possible indicator of biological activity — on Mars.

一个特写图像展示了好奇号的SAM仪的一个关闭着的舱门。SAM实质上是好奇号的“鼻子”，它可以通过“闻”火星上的环境来决定结构组成。科学家们迫切地等待着SAM的信息，一个可能是甲烷的矛盾信号-生物活性的可能指标-在火星上。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Image:NASA/JPL-Caltech/精准空间科学系统

CheMin Intake

CheMin Intake

This wire mesh cover that leads to Curiosity’s CheMin instrument can be seen in this picture. The rover will use its scoop to place powdered rocks and soil here for analysis, which will reveal their composition and help unravel the history of water on Mars.

在这张图片中可以看到通向好奇号的路径设备的钢丝网盖。漫步者将用它的铲子将变成粉末的岩石和泥土运往这里进行分析，这将揭露它们的组成，并帮助解开火星上水的历史。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Image:NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

APXS Close-Up

APXS Close-Up

In the center of this image, taken with Curiosity’s MastCams, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) can be seen. The APXS will be placed up against rocks and soil and shoot X-rays at them, analyzing the results to determine their chemical makeup.

在这幅由好奇号的MastCams拍得的图像的中心，可以看到阿尔法粒子X射线分光计（APXS).APXS将瞄准岩石和土壤，并向它们射击X射线，分析结果来决定它们的化学组成。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Image:NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Smooth Basalt

Smoth Basalt

A little-known feature on Curiosity is this piece of basaltic volcanic rock from a lava flow here on Earth. The piece has been smoothed down into a nice circle. The rover carried this bit of our planet to Mars in order to calibrate its APXS instrument against a known target. Tiny pieces of Martian dust have already accumulated on the rock -- meaning that during its calibration, APXS also got in its first Martian soil analysis, showing sulfur chlorine in these grains.

好奇号的一个不为人知的特征是这块从地球带来的从熔岩流中提取出来的玄武岩。这块岩石已经被磨成一个较好的圆形。漫游者带这块岩石到火星是为了调整它的相对于已知目标的APXS设备。微小的火星灰尘已经在岩石上聚集-这意味着在它的测量期间，APXS已经开始了第一手的火星土壤分析，表明这些颗粒中有硫氯的存在。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/精准空间科学系统

Grains on a Penny

一便士上的颗粒

MAHLI took this close-up shot of the penny on its calibration target, revealing itsy-bitsy pieces of Martian dust. The bit below and to the left of Lincoln’s ear is about 200 microns across, while the one directly below is 100 microns.

MAHLI 对这枚作为校准目标的硬币进行特写，揭示了火星上可爱的细小灰尘。硬币下方大约100微米及林肯的左耳侧大约200微米处。

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS