The mysterious object was photographed on the Red Planet by the Curiosity rover. Some Internet users immediately assumed that a Martian was "lit up" in the picture. NASA has its own version.
The very first black-and-white image sent by Curiosity from the Red Planet showed a huge dark spot hanging over the horizon. In the next photograph of the area, taken at a higher resolution two hours later, this spot was no longer there.
A snapshot with a mysterious object caught the attention of Internet users. Astronomy lovers began to wonder what it could be: dirt or flare on the camera lens, optical effects. There were also those who half-jokingly, half-seriously suggested that the picture captured a real Martian. According to some bloggers, the alien noticed Curiosity and hastened to hide from the camera's field of view.
However, experts deny all conspiracy theories. As explained in NASA, one of the details of the apparatus that delivered the rover to the surface of the Red Planet got into the picture. Satellite images of the Curiosity landing site also speak of this. In particular, a parachute fell to the southwest of this place, which slowed down the rover during its fall in the atmosphere. And to the southeast of it lies a heat shield that protected Curiosity from ultra-high temperatures during the fall.
In addition, an engine crashed 600 meters northwest of the rover, braking Curiosity in the last seconds before landing. It was the moment of the engine fall, according to experts, that the rover photographed in the first seconds after "landing". More precisely, he photographed a column of dust that raised this element of the descent vehicle.
Promotional video:
This version, which, at first glance, seems unlikely, is confirmed by satellite images. They show that deep grooves remain on the surface of Mars in places where the elements fall.
We will remind, Curiosity "paraded" in the area of Gale crater on Monday at 09:17 Moscow time. The rover immediately took several black and white images of the Red Planet, but their quality was low due to dust that covered the rover during landing. Photos were posted on the official Curiosity microblog on Twitter, which is maintained by NASA employees.
The purpose of the apparatus, which is an autonomous chemical laboratory, is to search for traces of life on the planet and study its geological history. Also, with its help, scientists are going to determine whether there was a dense atmosphere with a high water content on Mars.
The robot will operate on the surface of the Red Planet for at least one Martian year (about two Earth years). However, the margin of safety will allow him to continue his activities for at least ten years.