The more scientists study the Red Planet, the more they find unusual objects and patterns scattered across Mars’ surface. Here are some of the most baffling.
As one of Earth’s nearest cosmic neighbors, Mars has long fascinated humans with the possibility of extraterrestrial life just a short rocket journey away. Although no such life has been discovered, NASA and other space agencies have been using robotic technology to explore the Martian skies and surface, capturing images of unusual features that continue to stir curiosity, excitement, and speculation.
Here are some of the most intriguing objects on Mars that seem out of place on its barren, dusty landscape. Many of these sightings are due to pareidolia—the human tendency to perceive familiar patterns in random shapes. However, some may even provide clues that could lead scientists to long-awaited evidence of past life on the Red Planet.
An open “travel book”
Possibly in need of a break from its search for ancient water, NASA’s Curiosity rover paused briefly in April 2023 to examine what appeared to be an old Martian hardcover resting in the dusty terrain of Gediz Vallis. Though the peculiar object resembles a book with a page caught mid-turn, it is actually just a small rock. According to NASA, this charming “book-rock” is only about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide—perfectly travel-sized!
A “teddy bear’s face”
In a photo released by the University of Arizona (UA) in January 2023, a giant Martian teddy bear seems to smile at NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, complete with round eyes, a button-like nose, and a cheerful grin. According to UA, this adorable formation is most likely a fractured hill at the center of an ancient crater. But as far as we’re concerned, it’s the most charming pile of rubble in the cosmos!
Frozen “mineral flowers”
Spreading out like a miniature piece of coral, this fragile mineral formation is about as close to plant life as one can find on Mars today. Such mineral deposits, formed when ancient water interacted with rock, are common across the planet. However, NASA researchers noted that it’s rare to see one shaped so perfectly like a flower. To the right of the coral-like structure, you can spot two smaller, less striking circular rocks of the same type. Curiosity discovered this delicate feature in February 2022.
A mysterious “doorway”
Does this precisely carved “doorway” in a Martian cliff hint at intelligent alien life—or perhaps a hidden colony of human astronauts in secret Mars bunkers? Unfortunately for conspiracy theorists, the reality is much less thrilling: it’s merely an eroded rock formation viewed from just the right angle. NASA’s Curiosity rover captured the image in 2022.
Fossilized “animal tracks”
Could alien creatures have once roamed Mars, leaving fossilized tracks in the rocks? In 2018, one researcher controversially suggested this, pointing to images of stick-like formations about the size of a grain of rice scattered across a Martian rock. However, NASA researchers swiftly refuted the claim, explaining that similar structures are common on Earth in places where salts accumulate in water, like drying lakes. Their presence on Mars further supports the idea of ancient rivers and lakes on the planet, but provides no evidence of past life.
A bushel of “blueberries”
Blueberries aren’t a major source of iron on Earth, but the geological “blueberries” found by NASA’s Opportunity rover on Mars in 2004 are another story. These iron-rich spheres, smoothed over by abundant water billions of years ago, provide some of the earliest evidence that Mars was once a much wetter world. As for whether they’d taste good on cheesecake—that’s a question for future generations to ponder.
Thousands of black “spiders on Mars”
Every spring, thousands of wiggly black “spiders” appear near the Martian south pole. No, they’re not real spiders—nothing alive at all. This seasonal phenomenon occurs as buried carbon dioxide ice sublimates (turns into gas) when the weather warms. The gas bursts through the surface ice, carrying dark dust that scatters across the ground in jagged patterns. For these formations to be visible from space, they must be quite large—each spanning 150 to 3,300 feet (45 meters to 1 kilometer), according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Let’s hope Ziggy Stardust doesn’t hear the truth about them!
Ruins of an “Inca City”
Near the Martian south pole, there are intriguing formations that resemble the remains of an ancient city. Named the “Inca City” due to its resemblance to ruins found in South America, this strange rock structure might be made of sand dunes that hardened into stone over time, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). However, its true origins are still unclear. The winding formation seems to curve, suggesting it could be part of a vast circle measuring 53 miles (86 km) in diameter, leading scientists to believe it might be the remnants of a massive impact crater from an ancient meteor strike.
An ancient smiley face
Did someone spray-paint a smiling face on the Martian surface? Not exactly, despite how it appears in this infrared image captured by ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Only visible under specific conditions, the “face” is actually the remains of an ancient lake, marked by chloride salt deposits and two meteor craters that form the eyes. While there won’t be any Martian graffiti artists claiming responsibility, this face-like formation could hold clues about ancient life on Mars. As the planet’s lakes dried up, the remaining water sources likely became highly salty, possibly providing a habitat for microbial life.
An extremely out-of-place rock
One of these things doesn’t quite belong. This unusually white rock, standing out in the dusty Jezero Crater, is the first of its kind ever discovered on Mars. Named “Atoko Point” after a similarly light-colored feature in the Grand Canyon, the speckled rock is thought to be composed of the minerals pyroxene and feldspar, based on an analysis by NASA’s Perseverance rover. How did such a pale rock end up among the darker surroundings? It probably rolled down from the crater rim or was carried to the crater floor from another part of Mars during a time when rivers once flowed through the region.
A stony “Star Trek” symbol
It might seem like a Starfleet communicator badge was left on the Red Planet—at least, that’s what this rock spotted by the Curiosity rover looks like. However, NASA explains that the rock’s delta shape is purely coincidental. It’s one of thousands found on Mount Sharp, which Curiosity has been studying for years in its quest to uncover clues about Mars’ history and whether it ever had the conditions necessary for life.
A “tile floor”
While climbing the slopes of Mount Sharp in 2021, NASA’s Curiosity rover came across what seemed to be the remains of a tile floor from a Martian bathroom. Dozens of interlocking polygons, mostly with five or six sides, cracked through the dirt. These formations, dating back between 3.8 billion and 3.6 billion years, are actually mud cracks that have dried and re-moistened over countless years. They likely formed during a time when the water level in Gale Crater rose and fell, causing the polygonal cracks to form and fade before a final dry period preserved them in their current state.
Perfectly circular sand dunes
Mars is home to dunes of all shapes and sizes, but few are as perfectly circular as the ones captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2022. Taken while the orbiter flew over Mars’ northern hemisphere, the image reveals a patchwork of dark, unusually round dunes sloping southward, likely due to the Martian wind. Scientists are still unsure why these dunes are so circular or why they seem to be gradually moving away from the planet’s equator at a rate of about 3.3 feet (1 meter) per Martian year (687 Earth days).
A “shark fin” and a “crab claw”
While exploring Jezero Crater, NASA’s Perseverance rover came across some rocks that seemed to resemble marine creatures. One boulder juts upward like a shark fin, and another is shaped like a crab claw, surprising researchers. However, there’s no real mystery here—they are simply rocks, shaped by the wind over billions of years, now sitting in the Martian dust for curious human minds to spot.
A “floating spoon”
In 2015, NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered what seemed to be a wooden spoon floating in midair, with a shadow cast on the ground beneath it. However, it was merely an optical illusion. The “spoon” is actually a rock, shaped by the wind over countless years, known as a ventifact. The handle of the rock protrudes from a larger formation, causing the spoon’s rounded tip to appear suspended above the ground, casting a distinct shadow below.
An eerie “face”
One of the first Martian rock formations to spark public fascination was the famous “face” seen by NASA’s Viking 1 satellite in 1976. While orbiting Mars to find a landing site for its robotic counterpart, Viking 2, the satellite spotted a rock mound partially cast in shadow that resembled a human face. Subsequent observations by later spacecraft revealed that the face was visible only from specific angles and lighting conditions, demonstrating that the humanlike appearance of the mound was simply an optical illusion caused by light and shadow.
