Humanity held its breath as the Icarus IV pierced the atmosphere of 51 Pegasi b, the first confirmed exoplanet beyond our solar system. Years of research indicated a scorching inferno, a world tidally locked to its star with a permanent dayside and an ever-broiling night. The descent was a harrowing ballet – the ship's heat shield glowing cherry red as it skimmed the superheated atmosphere. Landing revealed a landscape of molten rock, sculpted by unimaginable heat and whipped by ferocious winds. But amidst the desolation, the human explorers found something unexpected – signs of an ancient civilization, remnants of a society that somehow thrived in this alien furnace, a testament to the tenacity of life and a glimpse into the potential for the universe's hidden wonders. - This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA.