NASA found a funny bear face on the surface of Mars

Image taken December 12 by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. discovered an unusual rock formation on Mars that resembles a bear’s face. The HiRise camera aboard the probe captured this image at an altitude of 251 km above the surface of the red planet.

The screenshot shows a rock formation resembling a bear’s head, but the University of Arizona reveals the true nature of this illusion. The bear’s eyes form two small craters, while the muzzle and jaws are formed by a collapsed V-shaped structure. Alternatively, the outline of the head may be the result of sediment settling in an impact crater. According to the team behind the discovery, it could also be a volcanic or mud hole.

This is not the first strange phenomenon observed on Mars. In 1976, the Viking 1 spacecraft took a grim image of a rock structure in a region called Cydonia. Here, revealed education resembling a human face. Later, in 2001, images taken by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft showed that the supposed human face was due to the poor resolution of Viking 1.

In addition, structures resembling a door, a woman, and even a smiling face have been observed in the past. All of them, of course, they are nothing more than an illusion created by rocks, light, and the perspective of observation.. The most recent are strange deep formations, the origin of which is still being studied.

Strange formations of Mars continue to attract attention

3D map of the north pole of Mars

Mars is under constant surveillance, either from its surface or from above. Therefore, it is not surprising that these optical illusions periodically appear on the surface of Mars. Although they may seem somewhat familiar, they are just a manifestation of nature and have no extraterrestrial significance.

However, these images are of value to scientists, because they help them better understand the red planet and its geological processes. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been in orbit around Mars since 2006, continues to take detailed images of the planet’s surface and send data back to Earth for study by scientists around the world.

NASA is partnering with various companies to get people to Mars. Thus, it is likely that in a few years the first manned spacecraft will fly to the red planet. This will not only mean a great achievement for our species, but also for understanding our planetary neighborhaving the opportunity to study these strange formations first hand.