It’s apparently “just a gap” – but we’re still going to care.
open door
Apparently this photo of a “gate” on the surface of Mars has been cropped such to make it look like something much cooler than it actually is.
Over the weekend, a photo of NASA’s Curiosity rover went viral because it depicted what appeared to be a rectangular doorway cut into the Red Planet’s Mount Sharp. Although Mars Science Laboratory project scientist Ashwin Vasavada assured Gizmodo that it was nothing more than a natural rock formation in ancient sandstone, some true believers were unconvinced.
Since the photo of the “gate” went viral, professional debunker Mick West has released the enlarged photos of Mount Sharp taken by Curiosity – and, unsurprisingly, it looks like nothing from that perspective.
The “gateway” to Mars, in a much larger context. It’s just a gap in a fractured rock outcrop. pic.twitter.com/P3KQw8b17M
— Mick West (@MickWest) May 11, 2022
Could it be?
It’s not the first time in recent months that space photos have been misleading. Remember when the Chinese space program trumpeted an alleged cube found on the Moon? It was literally just a rock.
All the same, UFO enthusiasts are highly unlikely to take the word of a professional skeptic like West to shoot down their theories. And the same week that the photo of Mars’ “gateway” went viral, scientists did indeed publish a study that could have huge implications for finding life on the Sun’s fourth rock.
And really, at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to believe?
READ MORE: NASA’s Curiosity rover spotted a ‘gateway’ on Mars [Gizmodo]
Learn more about Mars: NASA is now having serious problems with its Mars helicopter