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                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2026 February 1
    Several craters are visible on a tan surface. The largest crater, on
   the right, has internal markings that make it look like a winking face
   with a smile. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                      Galle: Happy Face Crater on Mars
                        Image Credit: NASA, MGS, MSSS

   Explanation: Mars has put on a happy face. The Martian crater Galle is
   famous because it has internal markings that make it look like a face
   that is both smiling and winking. These markings were originally
   discovered in the 1970s in pictures taken by the Viking Orbiter. The
   Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft that orbited Mars from 1996 to
   2006 captured the featured picture. Happy Face Crater and its iconic
   features were formed by chance billions of years ago when a city-sized
   asteroid slammed into the Martian surface. All rocky planets and moons
   in our Solar System show impact craters, with the highest number of
   craters found on Earth's Moon and the planet Mercury. Earth and Venus
   would show the most, though, were it not for weather and erosion.

    Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after
                                    1995)
                        Tomorrow's picture: fast gas
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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