Record made on Mars may reveal the Red Planet’s past, however, it is far from a ‘door’
Luisa Alves, under the supervision of Thiago Lincolns Published on 05/23/2022 at 19:36
O Rover Curiosityspace vehicle NASA exploring Gale Crater on Mars, recorded an opening in a rocky hill earlier this month. The discovery generated curiosity among netizens for its resemblance to a small door. However, the truth was far from that.
Scientists have clarified that in fact, what was touted as a ‘door’ cut into a cliff on the red planet is actually just a small natural fracture in the rock. These fractures are common not only on the Red Planet, but also on Earth.
“O monte, no Monte Sharp, has several natural open fractures – including one approximately 30 centimeters tall and 40 centimeters wide, similar in size to a dog door. These types of open fractures are common in bedrock, both on Earth and Mars,” NASA explained in a statement.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), these rocks can serve as a ‘gateway to the ancient past’ of the red planet. Even if there is no hope of an alien civilization behind the ‘fracture’, scientists believe the crack will provide interesting opportunities for new scientific discoveries. The information is from the Yahoo!
Curiosity recorded the opening on May 7 through its Mast Camera, during an analysis of the rocky hill on which it stands, known as “East Cliffs”. The “little door” is 30 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide, so it has been compared to a dog door.
human brain trend
The comparison of the fracture with a ‘small door’ provoked an explanation by NASA on social media.
Sure, it might look like a small door, but it’s actually a natural geological feature!” the team said on Twitter.
According to the Curiosity team, the comparison with a ‘door’ is part of the human brain’s tendency to look for patterns that make sense in ambiguous ways.
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