Square-shaped formation found on Mars sparks calls for closer study

[Insider]

Social media has been buzzing with talk about a strange formation on Mars that looks like a giant square in the dusty terrain. The snapshot came from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), a mission that captured thousands of images from 1997 until its final transmission in 2006.

Commentators such as Elon Musk and popular podcaster Joe Rogan have stirred up even more curiosity by sharing a cropped version online. Many are asking if a neat, geometric form could appear by chance or if something else is going on.

Dr. Sarah Johnson, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), points to geological processes as the likely cause of these intriguing shapes.

She says that Martian landscapes often reveal features that appear artificial at first glance, but they usually have natural explanations tied to erosion or volcanic activity.

Patterns in the Mars square formation​

Countless observers experience pareidolia, where the human brain identifies familiar objects in random images.

Carl Sagan described this phenomenon in The Demon-Haunted World, noting our ancestors were hardwired to spot potential threats quickly.

This tendency leads us to see patterns like faces, squares, or symbols in shadowy and jagged rocks. It explains why everyday photos from Mars sometimes go viral when they resemble objects from life on Earth.

Square-shaped formation found on Mars sparks calls for closer study

A Mars image shows a strange square formation. Some think it's artificial, but experts suggest natural causes.

www.earth.com

A square-shaped structure on Mars has sparked global interest. The structure, about 1.8 miles wide, appears in images from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor’s Mars Orbiter Camera. The finding has prompted discussion about its origin, from natural processes to extraterrestrial possibilities. Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, wants to investigate. After a podcaster shared the image, Musk said, “We should send astronauts to Mars to investigate!” Musk’s company SpaceX aims to send humans to Mars.

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