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)

This handout picture taken by Pleiades satellite and released on September 27, 2013 shows a small island of mud and rock created by the huge earthquake that hit southwest Pakistan has fascinated locals but experts – who found methane gas rising from it – say it is unlikely to last long. The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on September 25 in Baluchistan's remote Awaran district, killing at least 271 people and affecting hundreds of thousands. The island is about 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 metres) high, up to 300 feet wide and up to 120 feet long and sits about 650 feet from the coast. (Photo by AFP Photo/CNES/Distribution Astrium Services)

A Hindu devotee prepares for Annakut or Goverdhan puja at Naba Brindaban temple in Kolkata on November 14, 2023. Annakut or Govardhan Puja is a Hindu festival in which devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Lord Krishna as a sign of gratitude for saving them from floods as per Hindu Mythology. (Photo by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A dog is worshiped during Tihar or Diwali festival in Kathmandu, Nepal on November 12, 2023. Nepali people worship dogs, dedicated solely to the human's most devoted friend and guardian on second day of Tihar fesival. “Tihar” the Hindu festival of flowers and lights, is celebrated for five days. (Photo by Sunil Sharma/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

English and Albanian singer-songwriter Dua Lipa in the second decade of December 2022 channels Catwoman in leather. (Photo by dualipa/Instagram)

These stunning sand sculptures are being used to encourage youngsters to explore their surroundings and play in the dirt. (Photo by OMO Lowe)