By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA on
Monday showed off the first high-resolution, color portrait
images taken by the Mars rover Curiosity, detailing a mound of
layered rock where scientists plan to focus their search for the
chemical ingredients of life on the Red Planet. The stunning
images reveal distinct tiers near the base of the 3-mile-
(5-km-)tall mountain that rises from the floor of the vast,
ancient impact basin known as Gale Crater, where Curiosity
landed on August 6 to begin its two-year mission. Scientists
estimate it will be a year before the six-wheeled, nuclear-
powered rover, about the size of a small car, physically reaches
the layers of interest at the foot of the mountain, 6.2 miles
away from the landing site. From earlier orbital imagery, the
layers appear to contain clays and other hydrated minerals that
form in the presence of water. While previous missions to Mars
have uncovered strong evidence for vast amounts of water flowing
over its surface in the past, Curiosit