‘Prove It’s Just a Rock’

A scientific dispute has erupted between NASA and Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb over a peculiar cone-shaped object discovered on Mars, with the Harvard researcher publicly challenging the space agency to back up its claims that it is just a rock with more conclusive evidence.

The controversy centers around what NASA describes as a small, naturally occurring rock formation photographed by the Curiosity rover in August 2022 in the Gale Crater near Mars’ equator. According to a NASA spokesperson, the smooth, metallic-looking cone is merely another example of wind-carved Martian geology, measuring just 1 centimeter and captured from 13 feet away. The agency suggests the object’s unusual “party hat” appearance could be an example of pareidolia, the psychological phenomenon where humans recognize familiar shapes in unrelated objects.

However, Loeb isn’t buying NASA’s explanation. The renowned astrophysicist, who first questioned the object in a March 8 Medium post, argues that his analysis shows it to be roughly 20 centimeters in size and questions whether it could be “human-made debris.” He disputes NASA’s wind-formation theory, pointing out that “a rock is not expected to have a smooth cylindrical surface with a flat end.”

The Harvard scientist has thrown down the gauntlet, demanding proof from NASA.

“I challenge the NASA representative to show us another example of a rock that resembles this object in any of the Curiosity rover images,” Loeb told the New York Post. “If this object is a rock, we should see other examples of it.”

This particular view is not the first one imaged on the red planet that has looked like something else. An image captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in December 2022, quickly went viral because of its resemblance to the face of a bear. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), there are no bears on Mars.