Mars: a “snake” photographed on the surface of the red planet by Curiosity

Written by
Aurelie Duhamel

On 14.04.2023 at 10:00 a.m.

Modified on 14.04.2023 at 22:00

A new snapshot captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover on Martian soil challenges Internet users, who think they have guessed the shape of a strange creature. Or when our imagination plays tricks on us…

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The Curiosity rover continues to shower us with magnificent photographs of the planet Mars, some of which have aroused many reactions within the scientific community. After the enigmatic silhouette of Alien, the head of a teddy bear or even this mysterious door, NASA experts share a new snapshot of what appears to be a snake on the surface of the red planet. It was enough to revive the craziest conspiracy theories, some of which see it as new irrefutable proof of an extraterrestrial life form.

A Martian snake or dragon?

Since the posting of the cliché on Twitter, Internet users have been caught up in this mysterious form. Some see it as a snake, others a fossilized prehistoric creature, a dragon or even a giant reptile that would have camouflaged itself under the Martian sand. Although it is unlikely that such a creature has taken up residence on the planet Mars, scientists do not hide their astonishment. “In 20 years of studying Mars, this is the weirdest rock I’ve ever seen“, recognizes the Franco-American astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol.

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A new view of the Gale crater

Whatever the appearances, it is actually an optical illusion (also called pareidolia), which causes us to see familiar faces and objects in random shapes. Because for now let’s remember, no sample, surveys or photography is able to prove that life on Mars is possible. Regarding these parallel ripples that can be observed in the photograph, it is in fact a rock from the Gale crater, which the Curiosity rover has been exploring since 2012. “Mineralization, fractures and remineralization are sedimentary processes that give rise to very interesting characteristics“, added the scientist. In other words, it is just a rock formation, certainly breathtaking, but nothing more.

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