NASA's NISAR spacecraft captured a sharp radar image of East Antarctica showing a landform about the width of a major highway shaped like a hummingbird in flight. The bird like feature stretches across a broad region, and the radar sweep revealed fine details hidden beneath the frozen layer. Scientists say the patterning comes from old glacial erosion combined with the land below the ice cap. Scientists describe the result as a quiet reminder of how ice sheets can carve rock into recognizable shapes over long spans of time. The image was released in late July within NASA's active program to map Antarctic ice with radar based tools. The agency highlights the mission as a step forward in sheet science. Officials also note that the work guides studies of ice loss and ocean changes. They say similar passes will run in the next phase. Photo set like this are likely to draw notice from both researchers and the general public. The mission is being run as a partnership across two major space agencies. Managers say the satellite was designed to record subtle shifts in the Earth's surface. The hummingbird image has already drawn wide web based chatter. A number of readers said the shape looked nearly lifelike.