NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is snapping pictures of something unlike anything it has encountered before

Right now, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is doing something exciting: shoveling sand.

In December, the rover reached a new territory called Bagnold Dunes, which is rich with one of Mars' most iconic landscapes: dunes.

The Bagnold Dunes are on the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp, a mountain at the center of Gale Crater.

Now, the rover is scooping up samples of the grains and offering an unprecedented view and examination of what they're made of.

Check out some of the amazing pictures Curiosity is sending back: