NASA's Curiosity rover's latest discovery is a "duck." But before you think of a full-sized animal and get your hopes too high, there is still no sign of life on the planet. It is instead a duck-shaped rock that delighted many Twitter users when Andrea Luck posted the photo.
Curiosity Rover Snaps Duck-Shaped Rock on the Red Planet
According to CNET, the duck-shaped rock was originally snapped by the rover's mast-mounted camera in late October.
Now everyone gets to enjoy the colorized version of the photo courtesy of image processor Luck. On Tuesday, Twitter users witnessed the latest "animal" in the Red Planet when Luck tweeted the image.
The duck-shaped rock now joins the previous finds of NASA's Curiosity rover, which include a fish, a cat, and a butt.
The rock was photographed by the rover at a perfect angle. It looks like a duck floating in the water with its head turned to look over its back.
Curiosity rover has been exploring the magnificent and scenic area of the Gale Crater on Mars. It is full of wild and wonderful formations.
Scientists have been studying the salty minerals found in the area. It could tell more about the Red Planet's history of water.
The rover is in the area attempting to find signs of organic molecules. It is investigating if the planet was once habitable of microbial life, according to IFL Science.
Since 2012, Curiosity has been exploring Mars, looking for evidence of microbial life. In the last 10 years, it has been delivering outstanding scientific data and captivating images of the planet.
While there are no actual ducks on Mars, the duck-shaped rock entertained many of us here on Earth as it plays with our imagination.
Read Also: NASA Curiosity Rover Records Mars' Clouds: Where to Watch
Curiosity Rover Remains Operational, Continues to Explore Mars
Curiosity is a Mars rover about the size of a car, as per iTechPost. As part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, the rover was sent to the Red Planet to explore the Gale crater on Mars.
The rover was launched from Cape Canaveral (CCAFS) on November 26, 2011. It landed on Aeolis Palus inside Gale crater on the Red Planet on August 6, 2012.
Since it was launched, the rover already photographed many things in Mars. It has sent photographs of rocks and craters that lead to many discoveries about the Red Planet.
The mission aimed to investigate the Martian climate and geology. It is also after conducting an assessment of whether the selected field site inside Gale crater has ideal environmental conditions which is favorable for microbial life.
Likewise, the mission aimed to investigate the presence of water in the area, as well as the planetary habitability of Mars, in preparation for human exploration.
The two-year mission of Curiosity was extended indefinitely in December 2022. NASA celebrated the fifth anniversary of the rover on August 5, 2017.
After another five years, NASA provided a detailed overview of the rover's accomplishments for the last decade. As of today, the rover is still operational.
Related Article: 10 Things to Know About the Curiosity Rover
