Martian ‘kneeling to pray', monstrous spiders, secret doorway and Ghandi's FACE – the creepiest pics of Mars ever taken
And if you went by those pics alone, you'd think the Martian surface was littered with mysterious faces, swarms of monstrous spiders, and even alien beings.
Advertisement
15
This legendary Martian feature has been famous around the world since the 1970s
Credit: NASA/JPL
15
It looks like a stone carving of a giant human (or even alien) face
Credit: NASA/JPL
Of course, Mars is just a barren wasteland – only occupied by camera-toting rovers shipped there from Earth.
So why do we see all of these strange faces and figures on Mars?
Well it's a phenomenon known as pareidolia, which is a human tendency to see patterns when there isn't one – and it's often to blame for those bizarre sightings on the red planet.
Here are some of the creepiest "sightings" from our space neighbour, Mars.
Advertisement
Read more on Nasa
CYDONIA 'FACE ON MARS'
One of the most iconic Martian faces is from the Cydonia region.
The feature was first captured in 1976, revealing a strikingly humanlike formation on the Martian surface.
Early images of the region were snapped by Viking 1 and Viking 2, a pair of Nasa orbiters tasked with imaging Mars.
It's since been captured in several later photographs, clearly exposing it as an optical illusion.
Advertisement
Most read in Science
Sadly it's not a giant alien face at all – but a massive 1.2-mile-long Cydonian mesa.
The region is known for its flat-topped mesas.
SPACED OUT Stunning images of Mars surface revealed by Nasa
BEAR WE GO
15
The giant face of a bear was captured on the Martian surface
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Forget Stonehenge – what about
Advertisement
That's what was seemingly snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on December 12, 2022.
It looks like the face of an enormous grizzly, but it's actually just a weird hill, as Nasa explains: "A V-shaped collapse structure makes the nose, two craters form the eyes, and a circular fracture pattern shapes the head.
"The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater."
LEG IT!
15
Arachnophobes, look away now
Credit: ESA/TGO/CaSSIS
Advertisement
15
These strange spider-like formations aren't eight-legged critters – and that's very good news
Credit: Nasa / JPL / MRO
Several images of what look like
The first was caught by the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars Trace
Gas
Orbiter in October 2020, and the second was picked up by Nasa's MRO in May 2018.
Thankfully they're not spiders at all – but a strange phenomenon called "araneiform terrain".
Advertisement
"This is an active seasonal process not seen on Earth," Nasa explained.
"Like dry ice on Earth, the carbon dioxide ice on Mars sublimates as it warms (changes from solid to gas) and the gas becomes trapped below the surface.
"Over time the trapped carbon dioxide gas builds in pressure and is eventually strong enough to break through the ice as a jet that erupts dust.
"The gas is released into the atmosphere and darker dust may be deposited around the vent or transported by winds to produce streaks.
Advertisement
"The loss of the sublimated carbon dioxide leaves behind these spider-like
features
etched into the surface."
LIVING ON A PRAYER
15
All the way to the far left of this image is what appears to be a Martian
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University
15
Look closely – can you see him?
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University (highlighted by The Sun)
15
The striking image appears to show a kneeling man
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University (cropped by The Sun)
Advertisement
In 2007, Nasa's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured what appeared to be a person kneeling in prayer.
It made headlines around the world when the image was released in early 2008.
The eerie scene was part of a vast panorama of Martian hills taken during the closing months of Spirit's mission.
Of course, all we're actually seeing is an interesting rock, and a trick of the light.
Advertisement
GHANDI'S MARTIAN TWIN
15
Is this the face of Ghandi on Mars?
Credit: ESA
15
Can you see any resemblance to Indian statesman and activist Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi?
Credit: Getty - Contributor
Pictures from
Europe
's Mars Express probe appear to have captured a Ghandi lookalike on Mars.
The Mars Orbiter has been used to pack out the Google Mars project with satellite-style snaps of the red planet.
Advertisement
And in 2011, Italian space fan Matteo Lanneo thought he spotted Ghandi's likeness on the surface.
Of course, it's just another classic example of pareidolia, where we're simply seeing things that aren't really there.
15
Here's a better and higher-resolution snap of the spot captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which much more clearly shows a collapse pit rather than a hill
Credit: ASU Mars Space Flight Facility
MARTIAN DOORWAY
15
A panoramic image captured by Nasa's Curiosity Rover shows a secret doorway
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Advertisement
15
Nasa used its data to create a measurement of the 'doorway'
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
15
The space agency says it's just a common type of fracture
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
In mid-2022, Nasa captured
The picture of the mound on Mount Sharp was snapped by Nasa's Curiosity Rover.
Advertisement
Sadly it's not really a doorway, as Nasa explains: "The mound, on Mount Sharp, has a number of naturally occurring open fractures – including one roughly 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall and 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide, similar in size to a dog door.
"These kinds of open fractures are common in bedrock, both on Earth and on Mars."
15
Mars is our closest neighbour – and is a strange and mysterious alien world still unexplored by humans
Credit: Nasa
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
3 days ago
- The Journal
NASA says it will lose about 20 percent of its workforce as a result of Trump cuts
The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce — at the same time as the president prioritises plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, NASA said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation program, which closed late yesterday. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000, a more than 20 per cent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation program will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. Advertisement 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed NASA budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and centre, slashing science and climate programs. The White House says it wants to focus on 'beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars.' China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US program, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays. NASA is still run by an acting administrator after the administration's initial pick to lead the agency, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman — endorsed by former Trump advisor Elon Musk — was ultimately rejected by the Republican president. © Agence France-Presse
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Stunning space snap hides rare ‘one-in-a-thousand' secret – and it may be the first time it has ever been seen by humans
A STUNNING photo has captured a rare secret among the stars - and it could be the first time the phenomenon has ever been seen. Astronomers believe they have photographed the first ever birth of a supermassive black hole. While experts have gained an understanding of what these A supermassive black hole weighs millions, to tens of billions, of Suns, and form the centre of almost every galaxy. It forms the gravitational centre for everything else - including stars and planets - to revolve around. However, scientists now believe they have seen a Read more Tech 1 Three supermassive black holes can be seen in a newfound discovery Credit: NASA This could provide valuable insight into the space wonder. The process was captured in a pair of galaxies whose light has travelled for 8.3 million years according to The discovery was made by a Yale-led astronomy team, in a galaxy they've called "Infinity". Its name comes from its figure-eight shape, as three supermassive black holes can be seen as the galaxies collide. Most read in Science Within each galaxy a supermassive black hole can be seen at its nucleus, with a third glowing at their overlap. The team used a CLOSE CALL 'It was a sign' - Clare girl, 10, spots surprise comet that 'shines brighter than Venus' Within the cloud of gas at its centre, they identified a supermassive black hole. Unusually, the black hole was not located at the nucleus of the vast galaxy, but rather in the middle of where they were colliding. This gave them an indication that they might be witnessing an unprecedented event. There are currently a number of theories regarding the This includes the "light seeds" theory, in which small black holes are believed to have been formed when stars' cores collapsed and exploded. These smaller black holes are believed to have then merged into the supermassive versions. However, Instead, the "heavy seeds" theory has been favoured by some astronomers. This argues that larger black holes can form when large clouds of gas collapse, although typically this is known to form stars. The Infinity galaxy could support the "heavy seeds" theory by showing how, in extreme conditions, a gas collapse could create a black hole. The team is pursuing ongoing research to confirm the findings.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Galway-sized object in space 'may be alien spacecraft coming to attack'
A mysterious object the size of Galway could potentially be an aggressive alien spacecraft set to attack Earth in November, a new study suggests. Earlier this month, experts confirmed the discovery of a rare interstellar visitor, only the third ever detected, speeding through our Solar System at an extraordinary pace. A draft scientific paper published on Tuesday proposes that the object, known as 3I/ATLAS, might be extra-terrestrial technology and could launch a surprise attack on our planet. The researchers suggest that the object's orbit is such that it would make it easier for an intelligent alien craft to approach Earth undetected. The report claims that when it gets closest to the Sun in late November, the object will be hidden from Earth's view, allowing it to execute a covert high-speed manoeuvre to slow down and remain in the Solar System to secretly prepare for an attack. Scientists also note that 3I/ATLAS has an unusual trajectory that brings it very close to planets like Venus, Mars and Jupiter, something highly unlikely to occur by chance, with less than a 0.005% probability. An artist's impression of what the interstellar object in the Solar System could be (Image: NASA / SWNS) Comet 3I/ATLAS streaks across a dense star field in this image captured by the Gemini North telescope's Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (Image: NSF NOIRLab/ Ob et al. / SWNS) One of the authors of the paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is Avi Loeb, a renowned Harvard astrophysicist known for his controversial research and outspoken views on the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. He gained widespread attention for suggesting that the 2017 interstellar object 'Oumuamua might be an artificial probe created by an alien civilisation, based on its unusual acceleration and shape, reports the Mirror. Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl, both from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies in London, have teamed up with their colleague to pen a paper that delves into the realm of the hypothetical regarding interstellar objects. The trio clarify their stance in the paper: "This paper is contingent on a remarkable but, as we shall show, testable hypothesis, to which the authors do not necessarily ascribe, yet is certainly worthy of an analysis and a report." Despite the speculative nature of their work, they caution: "The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile)." They also note the intrinsic value of their hypothesis, stating: "The hypothesis is an interesting exercise in its own right, and is fun to pursue, irrespective of its likely validity." The celestial body in question, now catalogued as 3I/ATLAS (formerly known as A11pl3Z), is thought to originate from a far-flung star system and hurtles through space at speeds exceeding 60 kilometres per second. First detected on July 1 by the ATLAS survey telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile, 3I/ATLAS has sparked curiosity and speculation. It's estimated to measure somewhere between 10 and 20 kilometres across, though it could present a smaller profile if it's predominantly made up of reflective ice. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
