Recently, NASA’s Perseverance rover has made a significant discovery. On June 23, 2023, it captured an image of an unusually large, doughnut-shaped rock, likely a meteorite, with a prominent hole in its centre. This discovery, as shared by the SETI institute, was accompanied by several smaller rocks of similar colour.
#PPOD: @NASAPersevere took a picture using the SuperCam Remote Micro-Imager on 23 June 2023 of a donut-shaped rock off in the distance, which could be a large meteorite alongside smaller pieces. Credit: @NASA @NASAJPL @Caltech @LosAlamosNatLab @CNES @IRAP_France @mars_stu pic.twitter.com/9EFTr5tlno
— The SETI Institute (@SETIInstitute) June 26, 2023
Such odd rock formations are not new to Mars; past and present Mars rovers have encountered other strange shapes. Earlier this year, a structure resembling a bear’s face was found. This consisted of two craters that acted as the eyes and a V-shaped collapsed hill that formed what could be interpreted as a snout. Researchers suggested that the formation was due to a deposit settling over a buried impact crater, while the snout-like structure might have originated from a volcanic or mud vent.
If Nasa finding a bear face on Mars aint the biggest foreshadow for the mother of all bear markets I dont know what is 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/gYvPs1ocsC
— Sir Of Finance (@SirOfFinance) January 27, 2023
NASA’s Curiosity rover also detected a shiny metallic rock, potentially an iron-nickel meteorite, in February. Located near Mars’ Mount Sharp, the rock, aptly named ‘Cacao’, was in an area believed to have been a large crater in Mars’ ancient past. Even more peculiarly, the Curiosity rover had previously discovered a rock formation that looks like an ‘alien doorway.’
NASA's Mastcam captures what looks to be a doorway on Mars.
— Nikos 👁️ (@factchecknikos) May 11, 2022
Explanation possibilities.
1. Natural rock formation.
2. Alien built doorway on Mars.
3. Photo from Earth due to NASA faking images and this one slipped through.
Source. https://t.co/dpqJGSGiom pic.twitter.com/iiDZIEGcXM
Other notable discoveries include the ‘Egg Rock’ in 2016 and a 7-foot-long meteorite christened ‘Lebanon’ in 2014.
While the doughnut-shaped rock might not be evidence of extraterrestrial doughnut shops, it certainly reflects our innate drive to seek meaning, even millions of miles from home.
