SUMMARY
NASA's Curiosity rover captures Martian landscapes using its Mastcam system, which comprises two fixed-focal-length cameras: a 34mm wide-angle and a 100mm telephoto. Each camera utilizes a 2-megapixel Kodak CCD sensor. To create detailed panoramic views, like the 'Miraflores' image, multiple individual frames are captured with overlap and then stitched together on Earth. The Mastcam system also employs filter wheels for multispectral imaging, allowing for scientific analysis of Martian surface materials beyond standard color photography.
TAKEAWAYS
Curiosity's Mastcam system uses fixed 34mm and 100mm lenses, not zoom lenses.
Each Mastcam camera has a 2-megapixel resolution (1600x1200 pixels).
High-resolution panoramas are created by stitching together multiple overlapping images.
Multispectral filters are used for scientific analysis of Martian surface materials.