At first glance, this may look like the Star Trek Starfleet insignia, but it’s actually a rock formation captured by the Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover. This peculiar image was observed on Sol 4062 (2024-01-09 21:08:59 UTC).
NASA’s car-sized Curiosity rover firs landed inside Gale crater on Mars during August, 2012 and to this day is still exploring the area, along with Mount Sharp. It has two pairs of black and white navigation cameras mounted atop its mast to support ground navigation. These cameras boast a 45° angle of view and use visible light to capture stereoscopic 3D imagery. To keep it safe, Curiosity also has eight black and white navigation cameras, called hazcams, two pairs each in the front and back.
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