NASA Mars Photo Shows 'Flower' On Red Planet: A Sign Of Life?

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was able to capture a beautiful “dandelion flower” on the surface of the Red Planet.

The “flower” in question, however, is not a real blossom or some alien plant that thrives in Mars’ weak atmosphere. According to a report, it is actually a large impact crater with side run-offs that make it look like the dainty flower that everyone is familiar with back on Earth. The image, taken by the NASA MRO, is a magnificent sight and stands out among Mars’ rugged surface.

“This observation was originally intended to image the ‘contact’ between two terrain types: rocky ridge separates the rugged left from the smoother right side. But during planning, a targeting specialist chose to extend the image further north – to the top – to capture a nearby crater. Extending images for some extra coverage is common practice when data volume allows,” Dr. Veronica Bray from The University of Arizona said.

The black and white image measures around 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers. Across and was taken by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument run by The University of Arizona.

“That extension has given us a bonus beauty. The steep walls of the crater are covered with slope streaks formed by material falling down towards the crater’s center. There are so many in this case that the crater is reminiscent of a delicate ‘dandelion clock’. Looking closer, we can also that the exposed layering gives us more information about the subsurface of Mars,” she explained.

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched towards Mars back in 2005 with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manning the instrument.

For years, space agency scientists, alien theorists and UFOlogists have been reporting various images they have claimed to see on the Red Planet, most of which allude to life on Mars. Although most of the images turn out to be nothing more than Martian geological formations, it hasn’t stopped alien enthusiasts from considering other possibilities such as seeing the “remains” of aliens who once lived on the Red Planet.

Some of the most controversial discoveries include fish fossils, a rat, a pig and even the skull of Bigfoot found on the surface of Mars. Although none turned out to be accurate, it is still fun to speculate the images as scientists continue to find actual proof of life on the Red Planet.