Washington, April 8 (IANS) NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity’s camera has photographed a rather interesting-looking rock formation that resembles Australia.
This is just another example of Martian pareidolia – a psychological phenomenon that tricks your brain into seeing familiar objects in apparently random shapes – but the similarity is uncanny.
This is especially quirky as Curiosity is working in a location named after an Australian region!
The mission is currently studying rocks in the “the Kimberly” (nicknamed after the Western Australian region) area that may provide further clues to the red planet’s past habitability and ancient geology.
The location has been eyed by mission scientists for over a year who suspect it will be a science treasure trove.
“This is the spot on the map we’ve been headed for, on a little rise that gives us a great view for context imaging of the outcrops at the Kimberley,” said Melissa Rice of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in a statement.
