Strange ‘Jellyfish-Like’ Shape in Mars Photo Fuels Speculation
What Happened
A photo taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover in Gale Crater on Mars has gone viral after users spotted a tiny dark object resembling a jellyfish perched above a distant hill. The image was actually captured on August 20, 2023, but resurfaced in 2026, triggering speculation ranging from UFOs to alien life. Scientists note that the object appears in only one image and disappears in photos taken shortly before and after.
Key Takeaways
Researchers say the most likely explanation is a camera or cosmic-ray artifact, not evidence of alien life. The shape covers only about 15 pixels in a low-resolution navigation camera image, making it difficult to verify, and no follow-up observations have confirmed it as a real object.