It's no secret that Mars has a rocky and sandy surface, and this incredible photo from the NASA Perseverance rover is an excellent reminder of that point. Among all of the planets in our Solar System, Mars has a sense of wonder and fascination unlike any other. There are traces of oxygen in its atmosphere, many believe ancient life once existed on the planet, and there are even plans to put the first humans on Mars in the 2030s.
While there may not be humans on Mars for a few more years, robots have been exploring the planet since 1997. Today, one of the most recent and famous rovers is Perseverance. Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021 with two ambitious goals: to collect Martian rock samples and search for signs of life. While traversing Mars, Perseverance also captures and shares thousands of pictures to showcase exactly what the planet looks like.
The photo seen above is a prime example of Perseverance's photographic skills. Captured on September 25, the photo reveals an impressive landscape of Mars with its most iconic features — rocks and sand dunes. There are rocks as small as pebbles, others that could probably fit in the palm of your hand, and even larger ones that look like small boulders. The dunes are just as gorgeous. They have intricate patterns and varying sizes, likely as a result of the many dust storms that happen on the planet. All of this is set against Mars' famous yellow sky, acting as yet another reminder of just how alien it really is compared to Earth.
For anyone that's followed Perseverance over the last few months, they'll know this is just one of many jaw-dropping photos its onboard cameras have snapped. The second photo seen above was captured earlier this month, and it offers another impressive view of the rocky Martian surface. This one showcases even larger rocks smattered about the dunes, further revealing that Martian rocks come in seemingly endless shapes and sizes.
Photos like these are important for a few reasons. For one thing, it helps document Perseverance's mission for historical purposes. If NASA ever needs to go back and reference a specific photo for whatever reason, there are thousands for it to sift through. It also helps the NASA team right now while executing the mission. If the team sees something eye-catching in a photo, it can look closer at it and have Perseverance explore it further if needed.
These photos are also worthwhile for everyday people. More likely than not, most folks today won't be able to visit Mars during their lifetime. However, having access to so many high-quality pictures is almost like visiting Mars right here on Earth. Not a bad deal, is it?
Source: NASA
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