06:14 PM, February 03, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 06:29 PM, February 03, 2018

NASA turns selfies by Mars rover into stunning self-portrait

A "self-portrait" of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle on Vera Rubin Ridge on the planet Mars, which the rover has been investigating for the past several months, according to NASA, in this handout photo mosaic assembled from dozens of images and released on Jan 31, 2018. PHOTO:NASA/ REUTERS

NASA has transformed selfies taken by its Mars rover Curiosity into a stunning self-portrait.

Released this week, the photo shows Curiosity in the middle of the dusty, red Martian terrain, with Mount Sharp in the background. The rim of Gale Crater is also visible.

A small, self-focusing camera on the end of Curiosity’s arm took the selfies. Dozens of pictures, all snapped Jan. 23, were used to create the mosaic.

A viewpoint on "Vera Rubin Ridge" provided NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows where it began its mission inside Gale Crater, plus more-distant features of the crater. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Curiosity has been roaming Mars since 2012. Its next stop is the slope shown in the self-portrait, where it will probe what’s believed to be clay-rich soil.

NASA is getting ready to put another lander on Mars, a robotic geologist named InSight. Liftoff is targeted for May from California.