14 Bizarre Finds on Mars: Objects That Don't Belong!

The deeper scientists explore the Red Planet, the more peculiar objects and patterns they uncover across Mars' surface. Here are some of the most puzzling discoveries.

"Teddy bear's face"

In a January 2023 image from the University of Arizona, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured what looks like a giant teddy bear's face with beady eyes and an upturned mouth. While UA suggests it's just a broken hill in an ancient crater, we think it's the cutest pile of rubble in the universe.

Frozen "mineral flowers"

Resembling a tiny coral, this delicate mineral flower is one of the few signs of greenery on Mars. These deposits, formed by ancient water mixing with rock, are common, but this one stands out for its flower-like appearance. Curiosity discovered it in February 2022, alongside two less impressive circular rocks of the same type.

Mysterious "doorway"

Is this perfectly shaped "doorway" in a Martian cliffside evidence of intelligent alien life or a secret society of human astronauts? Unfortunately for conspiracy theorists, it’s just an eroded rock formation viewed from a perfect angle. This image was taken by NASA's Curiosity rover in 2022.

Bushel of "blueberries"

Blueberries aren’t a major source of iron on Earth, but the geological "blueberries" found by NASA's Opportunity rover on Mars in 2004 are quite different. These iron-rich spheres, shaped by abundant water billions of years ago, provide some of the earliest evidence of Mars as a once-wet world. Whether they’d taste good on cheesecake is a question for future generations to ponder.

Black "spiders on Mars"

Every spring, thousands of squiggly black "spiders" appear near the Martian south pole, but they aren't real spiders — they're not alive at all. This seasonal phenomenon occurs when buried carbon dioxide ice sublimates into gas as temperatures rise. The gas pushes through surface ice, carrying dark dust that forms craggy patterns on the ground. To be visible from space, these "spiders" must be quite large, ranging from 150 to 3,300 feet (45 meters to 1 kilometer) across, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Let’s keep this news from Ziggy Stardust!

Ancient smiley face

Did someone paint a grinning face on Mars? Not really! This infrared image from ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter shows the remnants of an ancient lake, marked by chloride salt deposits and two meteor craters as eyes. While no Martian graffiti artists will come forward, this face-like structure might contain evidence of ancient life. As Mars' lakes dried up, the remaining water likely became very salty, possibly offering refuge for microbial life.

Extremely out-of-place rock

One of these things doesn’t belong. This unusually white rock in Jezero Crater stands out among the dusty surroundings as the first of its kind on Mars. Named "Atoko Point" after a similar feature in the Grand Canyon, the speckled rock is likely composed of pyroxene and feldspar, according to NASA's Perseverance rover. It probably tumbled down from the crater rim or was transported to the floor during the time when rivers flowed through the area.

"Floating spoon"

In 2015, NASA's Curiosity rover captured an image of what looked like a wooden spoon floating midair, complete with a shadow underneath. However, this was just an optical illusion; the spoon is actually a ventifact—a rock shaped by wind over time. The rock's handle protrudes from a larger formation, making its rounded tip appear to hover and cast a shadow on the ground.

Eerie "face"

One of the first Martian rock formations to intrigue the public was this famous "face" spotted by NASA's Viking 1 satellite in 1976. While searching for a landing site for Viking 2, the satellite detected a mound of rocks partially shrouded in shadow that resembled a human face. Subsequent observations from later spacecraft revealed that the face was only visible from specific angles and lighting conditions, confirming that the humanlike appearance was merely an optical illusion.

Strange, white tower

In a 2023 image from NASA's Perseverance rover, a tall, white column rises against the dark Martian horizon. This impressive formation is a dust devil, taller than the average tornado on Earth and five times the height of the Empire State Building, according to NASA. Dust devils form when rising warm air meets falling cool air and are common on Mars, with an estimated 145 million occurring daily, based on a 2018 study.

"Bullet" hole

What appears to be a bullet hole in the Martian landscape could actually be a potential refuge for future astronauts. Captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2022, this hole, a few meters wide, is located on the flank of Arsia Mons, a massive volcano. It looks like a vertical shaft that might connect to a deep system of caverns beneath the volcano. While its depth remains unknown, it could serve as a shelter for astronauts seeking protection from the intense radiation on Mars.

Debris … from Earth?

In 2022, NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter spotted what appeared to be the wreck of an "alien" spacecraft on Mars. However, the "aliens" turned out to be Earthlings; the wreckage was actually part of the helicopter's own parachute and backshell, a saucer-like cover that helped slow its descent to the Red Planet alongside the larger Perseverance rover. Captured while Ingenuity flew 26 feet (8 m) above the Martian surface, this piece of human technology looks particularly alien against the desolate rocks and dust of the surrounding landscape.

Alien "egg"?

From certain angles, this pockmarked rock resembles an oozing, green egg from some unknown alien creature. However, NASA's Curiosity rover determined that the peculiar boulder, named Egg Rock, is actually a fragment of a meteorite that landed on Mars at some point in the past. Studying such Martian meteorites can provide valuable insights into the planet's history, though it's unlikely to lead to any extraterrestrial monster nests.

Crawling robot

From miles above, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a glinting metallic object on the Martian surface, which is precisely what it appears to be: NASA's Curiosity rover, navigating Mount Sharp several years into its mission. While concrete evidence of past life on Mars remains elusive, we can confidently say that Mars is the only known planet in the universe inhabited exclusively by robots.