The Internet Is FREAKING OUT Over This Incredible Photo From Mars
(TruthandLiberty.com) – People have been fascinated by Mars for a long time. Some wondered if Martians lived on the planet and had the technology to visit Earth. In August 2012, NASA’s Curiosity Rover landed on Mars, giving people a glimpse at what the red planet looks like on its surface. What it has found is nothing short of remarkable.
Curiosity started its mission in the Gale Crater. Over the last ten years, it has only traveled 17.34 miles. Engineers decide where Curiosity will explore and what direction it will take to get there. On May 7, 2022, the Curiosity Rover found what appeared to look like a mystery doorway, but was it?
Did Curiosity Find Proof of Life on Mars?
The picture Curiosity sent to Earth showed something akin to a perfectly carved doorway in a hillside. To the untrained eye, it may appear to be the entrance to an underground system where Martians live. To the trained eye, it’s something completely different.
According to Live Science, several clues reveal that what appears to be a doorway is really a natural phenomenon. Context is essential, and in this case, the context is scale. Planetary geologist Nicolas Mangold of the University of Nantes in France said in an email that while the door appears large, it’s only 3 feet high. Upon closer evaluation, one can see it’s not an entryway at all but simply a shallow opening created by years of natural forces.
So, unfortunately, or fortunately, Curiosity didn’t find life on the red planet.
Could Erosion Have Caused the Fake Door?
According to British geologist Neil Hodgson, the door’s appearance is an illusion caused by erosion. Hodgson confirmed to Live Science that rocky layers dip on the left and are higher on the right. He said it was a silt bed and harder sandy beds stood out. Wind likely caused the apparent structure. The geologist, who has studied Mars’ surface for years, said the small cave or door formed when vertical fractures intersected with harder surfaces such as strata.
Hodgson stated it appeared a large boulder fell under its own weight, creating the impression of a door-like opening.
Mars Science Laboratory scientist Ashwin Vasavada said the formation occurred after dunes compacted together. Over time, they were buried and unburied as Mars’ surface altered. The fractures caused the middle piece to move apart, hence the illusion of a doorway.
So, while the picture may appear to show a full-sized door to our eyes, it’s really not. Still, it’s fun to speculate about what it may or may not be until the experts tell us otherwise.
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