Subj : Daily APOD Report To : All From : Alan Ianson Date : Fri Jul 31 2020 02:29:30 Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 July 31 Mars 2020 from 5,000 Feet Image Credit & Copyright: John Kraus Explanation: On Thursday this snapshot from a small plane 5,000 feet above Florida's Space Coast caught a rocket's trail rising into the blue morning sky. It was July's third launch of a mission from planet Earth bound for Mars. The Atlas V rocket left Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from Space Launch Complex 41 at 7:50am EDT carrying NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. The car-sized Perseverance is headed for a landing at Jezero Crater on the Red Planet in February 2021. On board the sophisticated rover is the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Mars 2020 Launch: photos from planet Earth Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U. --- MBSE BBS v1.0.7.17 (GNU/Linux-x86_64) * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757) .