NASA’s Curiosity rover has been exploring the surface of Mars for more than a decade, taking hundreds of images during its journey that have captured the public’s attention, and now it’s happened again: the rover has captured a rock that at first glance looks like the open pages of a book. What is the interpretation of what we see? Keep reading to find out!
On April 15, 2023, 3800 Mars Day, or Sol, Curiosi took this close-up of a rock called “Terra Fermi” that appears to be the open pages of a book. The image was acquired using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) at the end of his robotic arm. Although it looks the size of a typical book, it is actually quite small, with the rock measuring only about 2.5 cm across.
The rover’s official Twitter account reads “Reading Light.” “My team thinks this uniquely shaped pebble is like an open book with pages blowing out. (Although it’s only two centimeters in diameter, it would be a little book…).”
Put on some red and blue 3D glasses and see what I see!
If you don’t have any 3D glasses on hand, you can always make your own: https://t.co/pJRpyF2SNw pic.twitter.com/tRADN8dKnR
– Curiosity Rover (MarsCuriosity) May 11, 2023
As explained by NASA collaboratorsUnusually shaped rocks are common on Mars, often formed as a result of water seeping through cracks in a rock in the ancient past, bringing harder minerals with it. For billions of years, the winds worked on the softest rocks, separating the soft matter and leaving the hardest parts, and in this way we can appreciate different and rather strange shapes today.
When we see these kinds of shapes, it gives us an idea of something familiar. For example, in this case, if you see it like an open book, it’s because your brain is trying to make sense of the unknown, a phenomenon known as pareidolia. In other words, pareidolia is a psychological tendency that prompts the viewer to search for meaning in random images or sounds.
It has happened on several occasions, although this kind of explanation is not uncommon. When it comes to images from other worlds or from the universe in general, there is an inexhaustible source of pareidolia. Basically anything you see you can search for some kind of meaning or meaning. If you want to know more pictures of this kind click here.
Mars today looks like a world hostile to life, but scientists have suggested that things could once have been different. The Red Planet may have conditions similar to our planet, where life arose at some point in its history. One of the main goals of robotic explorers on Mars is to search for signs of ancient life, and studying these aquatic environments could help solve the mystery.
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