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Curiosity snaps a pic of the most rugged plateau it crossed

The 360-degree panorama shows the plateau's craggy surface.

The Curiosity rover is almost done crossing the most rugged terrain it has ever crossed -- and of course it whipped out its trusty Mast Camera (Mastcam) to take a panorama for us Earthlings. Curiosity began its journey through the "Naukluft Plateau" in March, battling a sandstone bedrock full of sharp ridges. Naukluft, which is located in lower Mt. Sharp, got its distinct look from billions of years of wind erosion. The rover's ground team says the terrain didn't damage the vehicle's wheels more than it should, so it's still in good enough condition to reach its final destination.

Mastcam, by the way, took a 360-degree panorama of the plateau on April 4th. So make sure you drag the YouTube video (embedded below) around -- or use a VR headset -- to get a good look at Curiosity's jagged path to smoother surfaces.