This artist's scoreboard displays a fictional game between Mars and Earth, with Mars in the lead. It refers to the success rate of sending missions to Mars, both as orbiters and landers. Of the previous 39 missions targeted for Mars from around the world, 15 have been successes and 24 failures. For baseball fans, that's a batting average of .385. The United States has had 13 successes out of 18 attempts, or a “batting average” of .722. NASA's Curiosity rover, set to land on the Red Planet the evening of Aug. 5, 2012 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT), will mark the United States' 19th attempt to tackle the challenge of Mars, and the world's 40th attempt. (Image by NASA/JPL-Caltech)

A woman poses on the flooded St. Mark's square during an acqua-alta (high-water) alert in Venice, on November 19, 2013. (Photo by Andrea Pattaro/AFP Photo)

P.S. All pictures, as usual, are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture (if available; this principle works anywhere on the site AvaxNews).

Marine biologist Simon Pierce, who studies whale sharks, happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture amazing photo off Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Simon Pierce/Mercury Press/Caters News)

A giant panda named Kai Kai looks on as he opens a gift to celebrate his upcoming 14th birthday at the River Safari wildlife park in Singapore on September 10, 2021. (Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP Photo)

Maya Nakanishi of Japan competes en route to winning the women's T64 long jump at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai on November 11, 2019. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Reuters)

Social activists working for the rights of sеx workers celebrate with colour powder during the International Sеx Workers' Rights Day in Kolkata on March 3, 2020. (Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP Photo)

Tourists wearing protective face masks walk in Nanluoguxiang alley, a famous touristic spot at Hutong neighborhood, in Beijing, China, 01 May 2020. China is loosening up nationwide restrictions after months of lockdown over the coronavirus crisis. Labor Day in the country kicked off with a long weekend and an extended holiday, from 01 to 05 May, after the tourism industry has been hit during the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease pandemic. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA/EFE)

Viking re-enactors representing the rival armies of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons skirmish near Clifford’s Tower during the Jorvik Viking Festival on February 23, 2019 in York, England. The annual Jorvik Viking Festival held in York is recognised as the largest event of its kind in Europe. This year the festival remembers the role that the Viking women played during those turbulent times. (Photo by Christopher Thomond/The Guardian)