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Space & Astronomy

Image of 'carved face' on Martian rock resurfaces

By T.K. Randall
August 11, 2022 · Comment icon 16 comments

It looks like a statue, but it isn't. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
This intriguing photograph seems to show a carved rock face on the surface of Mars... or does it ?
From a giant crab to the face of Beaker from The Muppets - there have certainly been a lot of strange sightings on the surface of Mars over the years.

With its barren landscape strewn with randomly shaped boulders, rocky outcrops and other geological features, it's perhaps not surprising that Mars is a prime location to see examples of pareidolia - the human brain's natural tendency to see meaningful shapes in otherwise abstract patterns.
In this latest example of how easily our minds can be fooled - this image, which was captured by NASA's Curiosity rover back in 2014 - shows what appears to be a carved face, like something that could be part of an ancient statue.

In reality, of course, it is simply a random happenstance of shapes and angles, but it's interesting to see, once again, just how easily such things can be picked out on the surface of another world.

Source: Boing Boing | Comments (16)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #7 Posted by Timothy 2 years ago
From https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/5957/martian-valley-may-be-curiositys-route-white-balanced/ ‘The largest of the dark rocks on the sand in the right half of the scene are about 2 feet (about 60 centimeters) across.’ So, that would make the face 30cm in diameter.
Comment icon #8 Posted by DEATHBOT 2000 2 years ago
But then you take a screenshot of the image, do a little bit of editing of brightness etc and maybe, just maybe you can see a symmetrical 'eye' shape in the dark shadow portion of the object.
Comment icon #9 Posted by NCC1701 2 years ago
That's not a human face: that's an alien.
Comment icon #10 Posted by Tatetopa 2 years ago
Its not a slice of chorizo by any chance is it?
Comment icon #11 Posted by Trelane 2 years ago
Well, it's definitely not a plesiosaur.
Comment icon #12 Posted by fred_mc 2 years ago
I don't see any face but I'm quite bad in seeing faces in things in general.
Comment icon #13 Posted by Splendor Solis 2 years ago
That's what I like about this site! Real and rational reports. The article doesn't promote the nonsense that the rock is some kind of ancient statue or sculpture, carved millions or billions of years ago. The article states that this is simply a coincidence. The internet needs more sites like this one.
Comment icon #14 Posted by MGB 2 years ago
I held a mirror up to it for a mirror image. It does look like a face but not a human face. The mouth juts out way too far.
Comment icon #15 Posted by joc 2 years ago
I didn't find it intriguing at all.  It's a rock...on a planet...where there is no life...nor has there ever...
Comment icon #16 Posted by Torviking 2 years ago
Looks like one of Scott Warings genius finds.


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