NASA's Curiosity rover just returned a new batch of Mars images, and one of them looks like it was taken right out of Dune. Among all the planets in our Solar System, Mars tends to be one of the greatest inspirations for science-fiction. Whether it's featured directly in books like The Martian or used as inspiration for fictional planets such as Tatooine, Mars' presence in the sci-fi world is unavoidable.
It'll be a while longer before humans get to experience Mars for themselves, but in the meantime, advanced robots are exploring the planet as we speak. Mars is home to rovers, probes, orbiters, and even a small helicopter. These machines are critical in helping scientists learn everything they can about our Martian neighbor. From collecting rock samples to creating interior maps of the planet, it's beyond impressive what the robots are capable of.
One such robot is Curiosity. Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012 with the goal of finding evidence of ancient microbial life. While traveling the planet and investigating areas of interest, Curiosity also spends part of its time taking pictures of everything it sees. Not only are these photos helpful for the NASA team on Earth, but they're also downright gorgeous to look at. A prime example of this is the picture seen above. It was taken with Curiosity's Left Navigation Camera and acquired by NASA on October 26. The original photo is black-and-white, but Screen Rant turned it into a false-color image to better represent Mars' actual colors.
Who Needs 'Dune' When We Have Mars?
There's a lot to like about this image. It showcases an eerie Martian sky, a lifeless surface littered with rocks, and a series of hills looming in the background. It's a perfect representation of how barren Mars truly is. It also bears a striking resemblance to Arrakis — the desert planet prominently featured in the new Dune movie. There may not be a giant worm anywhere in this picture, but the resemblance to Denis Villeneuve's latest film is uncanny.
This isn't the only Mars photo from this year that looks like it could be ripped straight out of Dune. NASA's Perseverance rover snapped the above photo back in September. Just like Dune, the picture highlights large sand hills, numerous rocks, and a haunting yellow sky that looks unlike anything on Earth. Whether you're a huge fan of the movie or have only seen it in trailers, there's no denying just how impressive these images really are.
Source: NASA