Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: On mission sol 872 (Earth date August 3) Ingenuity snapped this sharp image on its 54th flight above the surface of the Red Planet. During the flight the Mars Helicopter hovered about 5 meters, or just over 16 feet, above the Jezero crater floor. Tips of Ingenuity's landing legs peek over the left and right edges in the camera's field of view while the Perseverance Mars Rover can be seen looking on from a distance at the top right of the frame. Planned as a brief "pop-up" flight, Ingenuity's 54th flight lasted less than 25 seconds. It followed Ingenuity's 53rd flight made on July 22 that resulted in an unscheduled landing.