NASA's Perseverance rover regularly uploads pictures from its journies on Mars, and this latest one showcases a peculiar 'staircase' made out of Martian rocks. Mars is a planet filled with fascinating sights. From looming mountains, haunting sunrises, and mesmerizing dunes, the views from Mars never get old.
While these aren't things most humans will ever be able to see with their own eyes, robots like Perseverance make them accessible to everyone. Whether it be Perseverance, Curiosity, or the Ingenuity helicopter, these advanced robots regularly capture and share incredible photos from over 240 million miles away. Being skilled photographers isn't the only purpose of these robots, but it's certainly one of their more eye-catching capabilities.
Always looking to one-up itself, Perseverance just uploaded another batch of images from its Martian adventures — and the one above really caught our eye. Captured with Perseverance's Front Left Hazard Avoidance Camera A and acquired by NASA on November 3, the photo has a lot to offer. It shows a larger boulder towards the bottom-left of the frame, part of Perseverance is seen towards the right, and an eerie Martian sky takes up the background. What's especially noteworthy is the 'staircase' in between the boulder and Perseverance. While it's not technically a staircase, it sure does look like one. These rocks have positioned themselves in an ascending fashion as if to help someone traverse the Red Planet's surface. The details in this 'Mars staircase' are equally fascinating. We can clearly see rough textures on the sides, orange dust covering the tops, and smaller rocks resting on them.
Martian Rocks Take Many Fascinating Shapes
This isn't the first time Perseverance has found an Earth-like object hidden within Mars' rocks. In late October, Perseverance came across one rock that looked just like a giant frog. Another photo from earlier in the year showcased a rock that resembled a Martian worm. Most of the rocks on Mars have normal rock-like shapes, but every now and then, Perseverance comes across ones that are incredibly unique.
Pictures like this are what make robots like Perseverance so important. Anyone reading this article is very unlikely to step foot on Mars in their lifetime. That fact may be disappointing to some folks, but these photos help it sting just a little less. We can sit back on Earth, not worry about the harsh realities of actually being on Mars, and still experience the planet as if we were there.
Source: NASA