The origins of Pac-Man
Have you ever wondered about the setting for the famous arcade game Pac-Man? You might think that the game has no specific location, since it’s just shapes on a black screen. However, the next unusual image of Mars gives the impression that Pac-Man could have been evolving on the red planet. At least, it’s a fun idea to consider. Looking at this photograph of a crater, taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, it’s hard not to identify a resemblance to Pac-Man in the center. Unfortunately, this resemblance is not the proof some of us would like it to be. It’s simply the result of the formation of a crescent-shaped sand dune, located inside an impact crater. Ultimately, this means we won’t be lucky enough to come across a Pac-Man roaming the surface of Mars.
The Origins Of Pac Man
The sky over Mars
Not all these amazing photos of Mars were taken from the planet’s surface. There have been times when NASA rovers have directed their gaze skyward, offering a perspective of what Martians might see if they existed. Apparently, it’s a remarkably beautiful vision. This was particularly evident in March 2021, as this image shows. The Curiosity rover captured these glittering clouds, which seem to result from the near-uniformity of the size of the particles they contain. At least that’s what atmospheric scientist Mark Lemmon claims, explaining that this uniformity occurs “just after the clouds formed” and that the particles “all grew at the same speed”. An evening of stargazing with a view like this certainly wouldn’t go amiss
Le Ciel De Mars
