PIA00386: Example of Weathering And Sun Angle
The letter 'B' or perhaps the figure '8' appears to have been etched into the Mars rock at the left edge of this picture taken by NASA's Viking 1 Lander. It is believed to be an illusion caused by weathering processes and the angle of the sun.
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Viking 
 Spacecraft:  Viking Lander 1
 Instrument:  Camera 1 
 Product Size:  662 x 512 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  JPL 
 Producer ID:  P17154  
 Addition Date:  1996-12-12 
 Primary Data Set:  Viking EDRs 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA00386.tif (147.1 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA00386.jpg (61.6 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

The letter 'B' or perhaps the figure '8' appears to have been etched into the Mars rock at the left edge of this picture taken yesterday by the Viking 1 Lander. It is believed to be an illusion caused by weathering processes and the angle of the sun as it illuminated the scene for the spacecraft camera. The object at lower left is the housing containing the surface sampler scoop.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL

Image Addition Date:
1996-12-12