The “dog gate” in the middle of a Martian rock captured by the Curiosity rover’s Mast camera earlier this month is a “gateway to Mars’ ancient past”, NASA said.
Social networks have raised the hypothesis that it would be an extraterrestrial portal or access to a tunnel that leads to the center of the red planet. According to the US space agency, however, it’s all regarding perspective.
“The mound, at Mount Sharp, has several natural open fractures – including one regarding 30 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide, similar in size to a dog door. These types of open fractures are common in bedrock, both on Earth and on Mars.
This image is part of the “Sol 3466” series, which was posted in multiple frames on the agency’s Mars Exploration Program website. Seen in its entirety, the series changes the perspective, dimension and shape of this “door”.
“Of course, it may look like a small door, but it is actually a natural geological feature! You can just appear a doorway because your mind is trying to make sense of the unknown. (This is called “pareidolia”). In a less literal sense, my science team is interested in these rocks as a “gateway” to the ancient past. As I climb this mountain, I see higher levels of clay giving way to salty minerals called sulphates – clues to how water dried up on Mars billions of years ago.
Some of you noticed this image I took on Mars. Sure, it may look like a small gate, but it’s actually a natural geological feature! It may just *look* like a doorway because your mind is trying to make sense of the unknown. (It’s called “pareidolia”) https://t.co/TrtbwO7m46 pic.twitter.com/VdwNhBkN6J
– Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) May 18, 2022
According to the agency, Curiosity is currently investigating an area of Mount Sharp that may contain evidence of a major shift from wetter to drier conditions early in the Red Planet’s history.
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