It’s been a busy few weeks for certain people discussing purportedly strange features on Mars. First, there was the “square structure“, then there were the Phobos and Mars “monoliths”. Now, some are once again talking about so-called “doorways” on Mars – however, the image they cite is likely not what it seems.
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An X account named “UFO mania” began the discussion, which has since spread around as these things tend to do, with people speculating that one feature was a “doorway” above a “structure“. So, what exactly is it? Well, previous discoveries of “doorways” on Mars, the handle “UFO mania”, and the fact that this article isn’t titled “ALIENS ON MARS, THEY’VE FOUND ALIENS ON MARS” should flag that we are probably not looking at the doorway to a Martian’s house.
Such “doorways” have been seen on the Red Planet before, spotted by those trawling through the wealth of raw images captured by the rovers on Mars, made available to the public by NASA. One rock formation on the “East Cliffs” of Mount Sharp got conspiracy theorists excited in 2022.
The so-called “doorway” in a raw Curiosity Rover image taken May 07, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
After that image was spread around the Internet, the Curiosity Rover’s X account and NASA explained what we were looking at. Included in the explanation is that it’s not quite the scale conspiracy theorists assumed.
“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,” NASA said of the feature. “These kinds of open fractures are common in bedrock, both on Earth and on Mars.”
Maybe the aliens are dog-sized?
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
“Some of you have noticed this image I took on Mars,” the Curiosity X account added. “Sure, it may look like a tiny door, but really, it’s a natural geologic feature! It may just *look* like a door because your mind is trying to make sense of the unknown. (This is called “pareidolia”).”
So, is the new “doorway” just that same geological feature that people are misinterpreting? Probably not. Looking at the raw photographs for Sol 528 does not reveal the same exact image. However, there are images taken on Sol 528 and Sol 529 showing the same landscape, with one notable difference; a distinct lack of door.
Where’s the door?
Image credit: NASA/Mars Science Laboratory
Unless any potential dog-sized aliens living on Mars – struggling with the “hinge” stage of technological development – close their “doors” by shoving a big rock in front of them, it’s probable that the “doorway” image being spread around the Internet has been edited.
While conspiracy types might be inclined to think NASA is hiding the truth, the real truth is that if there was possible evidence of life on Mars they (and the media) would be extremely excited about it too.
Don’t believe us? Just look how excited everyone got about a curious rock sample from Silver Mountain.
Source Link: Don't Get Too Excited By Images Of So-Called "Doorways" On Mars
