A dramatic Martian landscape has sparked fresh intrigue online after eagle-eyed viewers spotted what looks like a human-shaped figure moving across the rocky terrain.
The NASA image, taken by the Spirit rover back in 2007, has resurfaced on social media, where some users are calling the odd formation a possible “walking man” on Mars.
Tucked between scattered rocks, the unusual silhouette appears to show outstretched arms and one leg positioned forward, creating the illusion of a figure frozen mid-step.
The strange shape was captured within a wide panorama of the Martian hills during the later phase of Spirit’s historic mission. The rover became stuck in soft sand in 2009 and, after losing power, was officially declared inactive by NASA in 2011.
Although some online observers described it as a man walking across the Red Planet, others thought it resembled a statue-like figure kneeling with one hand extended.
Plenty of commenters were quick to point out that the so-called figure is almost certainly an oddly shaped rock and a trick of light and shadow, though others noted that no similar formations appear close by.
One Reddit user wrote: “This seems like a mix of rocks, surface shapes and the way the shadows fall.
“There are other strange-looking forms in the image that don’t immediately look natural either. It would be amazing if this turned out to be some kind of alien artifact, but if that were true, I seriously doubt NASA or the government would have made the photo public.”
The image, captured by NASA’s Spirit rover in 2007, has resurfaced online, with viewers convinced it shows a ‘walking man’ on the Red Planet
NASA has maintained that it has no evidence of extraterrestrial life and has yet to find any signs of current or past life on Mars.
Regardless, viewers of the image have proposed wild ideas for what could be seen in the photo.
‘That could be a statue. It’s sitting, not walking. Past life on Mars, Absolutely Yes,’ one Reddit user shared.
Another commented: ‘It’s obviously a person or a statue of one!!! I don’t care what NASA says.’
The Planetary Society published a blog post addressing the mysterious sighting in the Mars image, saying it is nothing more than an optical illusion.
The organization added that pretty much any person would see a humanoid shape in the photo, noting it is a case of pareidolia, the human propensity to see patterns in random shapes.
Another mysterious Mars photo was published online earlier this month, with people claiming it showed an unexploded ‘alien missile’ lying on the Martian surface.
UFO researcher Scott C Waring shared a photo on his site, arguing the object is evidence of an ancient conflict that wiped out a once-thriving civilization, claiming space agencies have remained silent because of its potential military significance.
Nestled among rocks is a strange shape that appears to have its arms outstretched and one leg forward, as if caught mid-stride
Waring even speculated the mysterious object could represent advanced extraterrestrial weapon technology that governments would rush to obtain if it were ever recovered.
The remarkable claims, however, are not supported by NASA, which has offered no indication that the object is anything other than a naturally occurring rock formation.
Scientists have long noted that Mars is shaped by billions of years of volcanic activity, meteorite impacts and relentless wind erosion, processes capable of sculpting rocks into surprisingly artificial-looking shapes.
Similar discoveries have repeatedly sparked claims of alien artifacts on the Red Planet before later being explained as examples of pareidolia, the human tendency to see familiar objects and patterns where none actually exist.
A UFO researcher shared a photo taken by the Curiosity rover that appears to show what he believes is an unexploded ‘alien missile’ lying on the Martian surface
Still, the peculiar shape has reignited debate online, with believers convinced Curiosity stumbled upon the remnants of an extraterrestrial battlefield while skeptics see little more than another Martian rock.
Waring estimated the object measures just over eight feet long and speculated it could be an intact piece of extraterrestrial technology.
He claimed such a discovery would be highly sought after by governments hoping to study advanced weapons, while wondering who might reach it first and what purpose it may have served.
Waring offered no evidence to support those claims, and NASA has not identified the object as anything other than part of the Martian landscape.
