NASA Curiosity Rover Finds Odd Doorway on Mars But Geologists Crush Conspiracy Theorists' Hope It Could Lead to Extraterrestrial Life

A "doorway" on Mars is captured by NASA's Curiosity Rover. And nope, experts clarified that this isn't the entrance to a terrible Martian tomb or a dungeon full of scary monsters!

As the Curiosity rover approached the "Mount Sharp" area last week, NASA and the crew captured a photograph of a presumably rectangular entryway to an unknown location.

It seemed like a cave opening, and it appeared to be a typical one that a person might go through or pass to reach a specific location beneath the giant rock structure.

NASA Curiosity Finds a Weird Doorway on Mars

A snapshot from the Curiosity Rover posted by NASA's official Mars Exploration Program wowed the globe, and it was because it revealed a gateway on Mars. It might be considered the product of ancient life forms or perhaps recent inhabitants seeking sanctuary on the vast planet, or just the result of the planet's shifting circumstances.

On Sol 3466, the Curiosity rover's "Mastcam" captured a snapshot showing a rectangular opening on the side of the mountain that is tall and broad enough for a human to go through.

There are no more photographs or explanations as to where it leads, and it is uncertain whether NASA will continue to investigate the entryway and what is within.

The photograph dates back almost four years, and it was discovered while the rover was climbing Mount Sharp on Sol 3466. It is now more than Sol 3475 as of writing and has passed through the area.

Experts Diss Conspiracy Theorists' Claim Over The Photo

The Curiosity rover did not investigate the cave further. Gizmodo confirmed that the image taken by the spacecraft is real. It is not altered and appears as a shot on its website. The study also stated that it is only a route between two giant boulders that do not necessarily lead to anything or conceal any secret crushing the conspiracy theorists' hope of discovering proof of extraterrestrial life.

Scientist Neil Hodson told LiveScience that the entryway was most likely generated by "natural erosion." At the same time, planetary geologist Nicholas Mangold stated the doorway was "nothing artificial." A piece of stone may have just fallen away due to rock fractures and temperature stress, producing a gap that seems to be a doorway.

The Martian "door was cut just so to make it appear like something lot cooler than it really is," according to Futurism.

While you'd think NASA could keep looking into the opening, at the very least by sending the rover through it to see what's within, PCGamer said the spacecraft can't.

First and foremost, the entryway is much smaller than it seems in the photographs, measuring less than a meter in height (the Curiosity rover is about 2.2 meters tall).

Second, zooming in on the photographs reveals that there is no inside. It's not a gateway into a cavern or chamber but rather a tiny alcove.

The chunk of granite near the door is most likely the one that broke away from the wall, forming a shallow wedge that appears like a tunnel entrance.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.