Curious about NASA's Mars Rover, "Curiosity"?

This Sunday night (or, very early Monday morning for East Coasters) will mark the long-awaiting landing of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, "Curiosity" on the surface of this mysterious Red Planet. "Curiosity" is expected to touch down at exactly 1:31 a.m., EDT, August 6, for a two year expedition to explore the Martian surface and look for signs of life (past or present), beginning with the Gale Crater, believed to once have been a water-filled lake, and serving as the "landing pad" for this historic mission.  As the most advanced Rover ever to land on Mars, curiosity is abound for what "Curiosity" might find and photograph for us mere Earthlings.

Apparently, Times Square will play host to the largest viewing event on the East Coast, as New Yorkers and tourists will converge and watch the landing live on the same big screens that New Year's Eve revelers follow when they come annually to countdown the famous ball drop.  Viewers at Times Square will be privy to live feed directly from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Flyer courtesy of DXagency

If you can't make it to Times Square, you can still watch the feed live from your own computer, via NASA's own website, or through Toshiba Innovation.  You can also listen to live coverage via NASA's first online space (radio) station, Third Rock Radio (which may be my new favorite radio station).  This will be NASA's first national "social media" event, virtually bringing together seven participating NASA field centers around the country.

If you want a more intimate viewing experience, fly on over to a landing parties at East Village bar, Professor Thom's, or New Jersey's William Patterson University (the latter accessible only by car).

Still feeling curious? Check out space.com's article about why we continue to return to the Red Planet, and view some of the Hubble Space Telescope's most majestic pictures of Mars at weather.com.

Follow WGINY on facebook for an exclusive opportunity to read some "fan fiction" about the rover's landing. 

Thanks to DXagency and Toshiba Innovation for providing information on the rover's mission, the Times Square viewing event, and NASA's live feeds.