In a remarkable sighting, NASA's Curiosity rover has captured a breathtaking image of the Martian moon, Phobos, and a distant Earth in the Martian sky.
The car-sized robot, tasked with exploring Mars' habitability, recently snapped a photo of Phobos, an irregularly shaped moon, and our vibrant blue planet, approximately 200 million miles away.
This historic image marks the first time both celestial bodies have been captured together from the Martian surface, according to NASA.
In the stunning image below, a ridge of Mars' Mount Sharp is visible at the bottom, while the upper right corner features Phobos, measuring 17 miles in length, and Earth, appearing as a bright blue speck. (A magnified view of the two objects is provided in the second image.)
From the rover's vantage point, the inset area would be roughly half the width of a thumb held at arm's length, NASA explained.
The Curiosity rover captured this remarkable image on September 9, 2024, during its 4,295th Martian day (or "sol") on Mars. Having traversed the Martian terrain for over 12 years, the rover is currently ascending the 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer) high Mount Sharp, a region that once experienced dramatic Martian floods.
In contrast to our moon, which appears nearly spherical, Phobos has an irregular shape due to its insufficient mass to form a perfect sphere under its own gravity. The moon has also been repeatedly struck by powerful space rocks, resulting in scars from thousands of meteorite impacts. The prominent impact site is Stickney crater, measuring 5.6 miles (nine kilometers) in width. For more fascinating space discoveries, visit computerstechnicians.com.
As the Curiosity rover embarks on its laborious climb up Mount Sharp, its mechanical counterpart, the Perseverance rover, is fastidiously combing the radiation-battered Martian landscape for remnants of ancient microbial life. This involves unearthing "chemical signatures and structures that could potentially have been produced by life billions of years ago," according to the agency.
To date, no definitive proof of life has been discovered on Mars — although NASA has chanced upon some fascinating geological hints. It is clear, nonetheless, that the now-desolate planet was once teeming with lakes and rivers, back when it was a more clement, hospitable world.
