It has been described as one of the ‘most bizarre’ objects ever discovered on the Martian surface.
So could extraterrestrials be to blame for this ‘bone-like’ rock with peculiar pointy protrusions?
Well, far-fetched though it may seem, scientists say they cannot rule out the possibility that an alien spacecraft crash-landing on the Red Planet was responsible.
Researchers of a new study added that such a scenario ‘cannot be discounted with absolute certainty’, particularly as ‘fragments including what appears to be wheels, an axle and a cratered debris field have been photographed in another Gale Crater location’.
However, they think the formations are most likely to be related to seismic activity on Mars.
Peculiar: Scientists say they cannot rule out the possibility that an alien spacecraft crash-landing on the Red Planet was responsible for creating these strange spikes in the rock above
Excitement: A NASA expert said the rock was the ‘most bizarre’ she had ever seen in 20 years
The experts said the protrusions look like what are known as ‘sand spikes’ on Earth, which appear on our planet during earthquakes of magnitude seven and greater.
Professor Richard Armstrong, of Aston University, Birmingham, who is first author of the paper, told MailOnline: ‘These structures are very unusual on Mars and unique in my experience.
‘There is no certainty what causes the spikes and related structures but the balance of evidence suggests a type of “sand spike” which form on Earth as a consequence of significant seismic activity.
‘However, there are some differences between the Martian spikes and those from Earth which has been pointed out by some geologists.’
For example, the ones on Mars do not have the same bulbous ends as those on Earth.
They are also sometimes serrated, while terrestrial ‘sand spikes’ are not.
On the possibility of an alien spaceship being to blame instead, Professor Armstrong added: ‘The spikes are unlikely to be space debris but nothing can be ruled out.’
He said the so-called ‘wheels’ were likely to be a separate phenomenon.
Nevertheless, there has been feverish speculation about what the rock could be ever since the US space agency’s Curiosity rover photographed it at the base of the 96 mile-long (154 km) Gale Crater in April.
At the time, NASA astrobiologist Dr Nathalie Cabrol said it was ‘the most bizarre rock’ she had ever seen in 20 years of studying the Red Planet.
She hypothesised that Martian winds may be to blame, with the feature likely to be the ‘remains of ripples after lots of erosion’.
Fossilised fish bones, dinosaur remains, or bits of an old Earth-made spacecraft have also previously been mentioned as a possible cause for the spiky features.
Odd: NASA’s Curiosity rover captured the images of the rock, which have since been analysed
Theories: There has been feverish speculation about what the rock could be since it was photographed at the base of the 96 mile-long (154 km) Gale Crater in April
Claim: Scientists think the formations are most likely to be related to seismic activity on Mars
In total, at least 10 probes including Britain’s Beagle 2 and the Mars Polar Lander have crashed on Mars, while experts estimate there are now 15,694lbs (7,119kg) of human debris on the surface from discarded parachutes and head shields of successful missions.
Despite this, the researchers said the peculiar rock is unlikely to be caused by humans.
‘Given that possibly 10 or more craft have crashed upon the surface, coupled with the jettison of equipment associated with landing the rovers, it is possible the spikes and its substrate are human-made and consist of debris that fell onto the surface of Gale Crater,’ the authors wrote in their paper.
‘Nevertheless, no debris field is evident and no evidence of any additional debris that may have originated on Earth.
‘Given its small size and that there are no known human-made analogs and no logical explanation as to what purpose these spikes may serve, it does not seem likely these specimens are the remnants of craft or equipment that fell into Gale Crater.
‘One can only speculate about extraterrestrial origins.’
Part of the reason for this is that similar rock formations have been found at the Nordlinger Reis asteroid impact crater in southern Germany.
Search: NASA’s Curiosity rover (pictured) has been roaming the Gale Crater since August 2012
Curiosity is no stranger to photographing peculiar Mars features which have left scientists scratching their heads.
Last June, the rover discovered some strange, twisting structures poking out of the surface of the Red Planet, which are now thought to be naturally-occurring ‘hoodoos’.
Experts said the columns were probably created from cement-like substances that once filled ancient cracks of Martian bedrock.
But, over time, the softer rock eroded away, leaving only the twisting towers of compact material protruding from the sand in the crater.
In February 2022, the rover captured an image of what appeared to be a coral-like ‘flower’ in the Gale Crater, but was actually a microscopic mineral formation.
NASA scientists confirmed it was a ‘diagenetic crystal cluster’, smaller than a penny, which may have been formed by minerals precipitating from water.
Studies of earlier versions have revealed that the minerals, sprouting out in different directions, were likely embedded inside a rock that eroded away over time.
However, it looks like these minerals were resistant to erosion, so remain on the dusty surface of the Red Planet.