A mysterious gap resembling an "alien entrance" has been discovered in pictures taken on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover. The 6ft rectangular opening appears to be cut into the side of a rocky hill.
Discovery in Curiosity's Images
Internet observers have compared the dark space to a doorway for a primitive dwelling. Curiosity captured the image in July while approaching a ledge on the three mile-high mountain, called Mount Sharpe, it has been climbing.
The remote-controlled buggy was inspecting geological formations called cross-bedded sediments that can reveal how wind and water moved material across the planet billions of years ago. The goal is to figure out if the planet could have supported life at some point.
UFO Researcher's Claims
UFO researcher Scott C. Waring examined the footage and found what he believed to be an entrance built into the hillside. Mr Waring said: "The entrance is approximately 6.6 feet tall and 3.3 feet wide, about the size of a doorway in an Earth home." He also questioned why the rover did not approach the feature and speculated that NASA may have investigated it without telling the public.
NASA have said there is no evidence of extra-terrestrial life on Mars and added that mysterious objects on the Red Planet are nothing more than oddly-shaped rocks. Mr Waring did not say how he estimated the "doorway's" size.
Skepticism and Previous Findings
Others have said the size of the mysterious shape cannot be determined without knowing how far it is from the rover or identifying the size of a nearby object for scale. The "entrance" could therefore be significantly bigger or smaller than Mr Waring's estimate.
Earlier this week, a different NASA photo sent the internet into meltdown after eagle-eyed viewers spotted what looks like a "humanoid figure" on the surface of Mars. The stunning photo - originally snapped by NASA's Spirit rover in November 2007 - has suddenly resurfaced online, with some convinced it shows a "walking man" in the distance.
Nestled among rocks is a strange shape that appears to have its arms outstretched and one leg forward, as if it's been caught mid-stride on the Red Planet. It has been dubbed the "Mars Bigfoot" and it tends to explode again whenever it starts trending on social media. One Reddit user brushed off the hype, writing: "I'm sorry but this looks like some shadow that could be from anything and I do think UFOs are totally real (aliens too)."
