NASA releases panoramic image of Mars' Marathon Valley

A new stretch of Mars’ dusty red landscape has been revealed in an image taken by NASA’s Rover Opportunity vehicle.

The panoramic still shows part of the "Red Planet's" Marathon Valley, on the western rim of the Endeavour Crater.

Captured on March 13, 2015, the photograph was taken as part of the rover’s ongoing exploration of Mars, which first began in 2004.

The Rover Opportunity will be investigating the valley for signs that it may have once held water. Scans of the valley by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft have already found evidence of clay minerals in the valley, a tell-tale of an ancient wet environment.

While Mars by is by all appearances a dry, barren planet, scientists have long speculated it may have once held abundant liquid water. One of the Mars Exploration Program’s key goals is to determine the status of water on the “Red Planet”.