Who knew NASA aligned with the dark side? That's the only explanation for this image of Mercury snapped by the Messenger spacecraft and released by NASA last week.
See also: Watch Disney Characters Audition For 'Star Wars' Roles

Maybe it's not actually the scruffy nerf herder, but the resemblance is uncanny. The Messenger's official website acknowledges the coincidence on the info page for the photo. Not only is it titled "He Will Not Be Permanently Damaged," the description is also peppered with references:
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.
Theory: After acquiring the franchise last year, Disney bought Mercury and installed a Han Solo lookalike to promote the new films coming in 2015. Totally plausible.
Whatever the case, the force is very strong with this picture.
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Homepage Image: Flickr, chaines106. Image: NASA, Messenger.