Photo: The Star Wars Character Who Was Photographed on Mercury?

Fans of Star Wars will pick this up right away!

NASA’s special Messenger spacecraft photographed a rather unusual formation on Mercury and it looks very like a certain character from the Star Wars series. Take a look to the right of the picture.

Yep, there’s an uncanny resemblance to smuggler Han Solo encased in carbonite on the planet!

Remember that moment?

NASA has even acknowledged that the formation does bear a resemblance to Solo, writing:

“If there are two things you should remember, it's not to cross a Hutt, and that Mercury's surface can throw up all kinds of surprises. In this image, a portion of the terrain surrounding the northern margin of the Caloris basin hosts an elevated block in the shape of a certain carbonite-encased smuggler who can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.”

“This block may be part of the original surface that pre-dates the formation of Caloris, which was shaped by material ejected during the basin-forming event. The act of seeing a meaningful shape in random landforms is a form of pareidolia—and has been seen for Mercury more than a few times before...”

The photo itself was taken on July 27th, 2011 but only recently shared online.

Hat-Tip to Laughing Squid for spotting this one!

Pics via NASA and Star Wars Wikia