It could easily be something from a sci-fi movie, but this image shows a roving robot on Mars, photographed by another robotic probe orbiting the planet.
The image shows NASA's Curiosity Mars rover driving across the Martian surface, captured by the HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
More on Mars
NASA says this could be the first time one of its Mars orbiters has photographed the Curiosity rover driving.
It was captured on 28 February 2025, the 4,466th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Curiosity looks like a small, dark spot at the bottom centre of the image, while a long, winding trail is visible behind it.
This trail is about 320 metres (1,050 feet) long and represents 11 separate drives that began on 2 February 2025.
Curiosity made the journey travelling at a speed of 0.1 mph (0.16 kph).
Despite the physical length and duration of the journey depicted in this image, even the earlier tracks remain distinct, not yet covered up by natural processes.
NASA says the tracks will last for a few months until the Martian wind eventually covers them up.
In the image, Curiosity rover is making a trip from Gediz Vallis channel to its next science stop.
This, NASA says, is a region of Mars with formations that could have been made by groundwater billions of years ago.
The search for signs of water on Mars is a key aim for planetary scientists.
In its ancient history, Mars was much warmer, wetter and more similar to Earth than the barren, dry landscape it appears to be today.
Who knows what the Curiosity rover will discover during this next chapter of its ongoing adventure on the Red Planet?
What are your favourite moments from the Curiosity rover's mission so far? Let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
