Categories: AstronomyMars

For Valentine’s Day, Enjoy These Hearts On Earth, Mars And Other Places

A heart-shaped feature in the Arabia Terra region of Mars taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

A Valentine from Earth. pic.twitter.com/7FEIIddAJB

— Karen L. Nyberg (@AstroKarenN) February 14, 2014

While we’re unsure about the status of chocolates and flowers in locations far beyond Earth, there certainly is no lack of hearts for us to look at to enjoy Valentine’s Day. If you look at enough geologic features or gas clouds, statistically some of them will take on shapes that we recognize (such as faces).

Below, we’ve collected some hearts on Mars and other places in the universe. Have we missed any? Share other astronomy hearts in the comments!

This heart-shaped feature on Mars “is actually a pit formed by collapse within a straight-walled trough known in geological terms as a graben,” wrote Malin Space Systems in 1999. Picture taken by Mars Global Surveyor. Credit: Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA

A heart-shaped mesa captured by Mars Global Surveyor in 1999, in the Promethei Rupes region. Credit: Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA

The Heart and Soul nebulae in an infrared mosaic from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). It is located about about 6,000 light-years from Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

I heart you @AuroraMAX #aurora heart pic.twitter.com/DJugaWnaCW

— Angel Brise’ (@AngelBrise67) February 12, 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Here’s a heart @NASA_Dawn saw on Vesta. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/y7ABgrX5to

— Keri Bean (@PlanetaryKeri) February 14, 2014

Mars sends love to us all on Valentine’s Day – hearts abounding from the romantics at @NASAJPL pic.twitter.com/mD39hi7lKT

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) February 14, 2014

Know I’ve used this before- but it seems like a good one. Happy Valentine’s Day #EarthHearts #ISSExp20 http://t.co/fc9X9zuCIr

— Nicole Stott (@Astro_Nicole) February 14, 2014

Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.