This stop-motion video shows the 297 pictures that were taken by the Mars Descent Imager as it “dropped” NASA’s Curiosity rover down on the surface of Mars.

Yeah, I know, we don’t see much, but hey, this is still better than nothing! In addition to the video, here’s the first color picture that was taken by the rover on the surface of the planet.

This view of the landscape to the north of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity was acquired by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the afternoon of the first day after landing. (The team calls this day Sol 1, which is the first Martian day of operations; Sol 1 began on Aug. 6, 2012.)

In the distance, the image shows the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The image is murky because the MAHLI’s removable dust cover is apparently coated with dust blown onto the camera during the rover’s terminal descent. Images taken without the dust cover in place are expected during checkout of the robotic arm in coming weeks.

[Source: NASA]