Cat lovers know that one of the cutest cat resting positions is the “loaf pose”. In this position, the cat pulls up the paws, hides the tail, so from the outside it becomes similar to the familiar shape of a loaf. It is this form of “cat’s loaf” that was spotted on Mars by the Perseverance rover.
A stone in the shape of a cat was seen in the Jezero crater on September 8, 2022 with the help of one of the cameras mounted on the mast of the rover. NASA is posting raw images of the rover on the Internet for review. It was this picture that was chosen by Mars fans as the “Image of the Week” that deserves special attention.
The angle of the photograph, combined with the characteristic drop of shadow, illuminates two pointed ear-shaped features on the “head” of the rock and a long, bread-like “body”. From a different angle or at a different time of day, this object looks like any other Martian rock. But at the right time and position of Perseverance, the stone turned out to look like a quietly dozing cat with plump cheeks.
People see in different objects on Mars the similarity of familiar things or beings through the peculiarity of our perception. Psychologists call this the phenomenon of pareidolia. Through this phenomenon, Perseverance has been attracting the attention of the Internet community since 2021 with its “mysterious” pictures in which people see a mysterious cave entrance, snake skin, or other optical illusions.
Of course, such findings attract the attention of the interested public, because scientists believe that Mars was “alive” once upon a time. We have still to find evidence of the existence of life on the Red Planet, ancient or present, which Perseverance is actively engaged in now.
According to CNET
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