Face on Mars is a classic

Humans love a good space story. That's why it's so much fun to speculate about unusual objects seen in images of Mars. Our imaginations turn rock formations into faces and cosmic rays into alien communications. A recent image from the Mars Curiosity rover generated plenty of online speculation about what looks like a crab-shaped object tucked into a dark cranny. Is it an alien crab monster? Not likely. It's probably just a weird rock formation.

Join us as we explore some famous Mars mysteries and the scientific explanations behind them.

NASA's Viking 1 Orbiter zipped near Mars in 1976 and took this now iconic image of the surface. What got everyone excited is the face-like formation in the upper center of the picture. If you have a creative mind, it's easy to see it as having two eyes, a nose, a mouth and a weird hairdo. It even looks a bit like a young Elvis Presley. You can see why some people thought the face was an alien-built monument on Mars.

First published August 4, 2015.

Updates

June 21, 2017: Adds images including a strange Martian pit, a trippy mesa and an "alien" kissy face.

Dec. 6, 2017: Adds images including "blueberries," spherules and gullies. Mar. 19, 2018: Adds images including dragon scales, stick-like figures and an avalanche.

Dec. 3, 2018: Adds images including Mars volcano, Beaker, Pac-Man, lava coils and a shiny object.

Read the article