Mars "doors" debunked: Pareidolia fuels conspiracy theories
Photos from Mars have sparked a discussion about mysterious "doors" on the planet. The images surprised many, as the enigmatic formations seemed to resemble the work of intelligent beings. However, researchers have concluded that it's merely an optical illusion.
Recently, the internet has been abuzz with photos from Mars, allegedly depicting a rock formation that looks like a door. This conversation was started by the "UFO mania" profile on the X platform, suggesting that one of the rock formations resembles an entrance to a building. Unfortunately for conspiracy theory enthusiasts, researchers dismiss the idea that these doors were created by extraterrestrial beings. According to IFLScience, it's just an optical illusion.
Natural rock formations
Similar "doors" have been observed on Mars before. In 2022, a photo from the "East Cliffs" on Mount Sharp caught the attention of conspiracy theorists. NASA explained that these are natural cracks in the rock, which may resemble doors.
What is pareidolia?
The Curiosity Rover, which took the photos, also addressed the issue. "Sure, it may look like a tiny door, but really, it's a natural geologic feature," it explained on its account. The phenomenon that causes us to see familiar shapes in random objects is called pareidolia.
Photos from Sol 528 and Sol 529, showing the same landscape, contain no "doors." This suggests that the image circulating online may have been edited. NASA emphasizes that if there were evidence of life on Mars, both the agency and the media would be highly interested in it.
No evidence of life on the red planet
Similar situations have occurred before, such as with a rock sample from Silver Mountain, which also raised excitement. However, as pointed out by IFLScience, there is no evidence of life on Mars, and such photos remain geological curiosities.
