Curiosity Photo Revives Mars Life Debate Over 13-Second 'Jellyfish' Gap
Updated
Updated · PetaPixel · Aug 28
Curiosity Photo Revives Mars Life Debate Over 13-Second 'Jellyfish' Gap
3 articles · Updated · PetaPixel · Aug 28
Summary
A 2023 Curiosity navigation-camera image has resurfaced because a hovering shape appears on the Martian horizon, prompting online claims of a jellyfish-like life form.
Just 13 seconds earlier, another frame showed no such figure, a gap that fueled speculation but also pointed experts toward a non-biological explanation.
Astrophysicist Joseph Farah said the shape most likely came from a cosmic ray striking the camera sensor, citing a clean row of black pixels and the lack of anti-aliasing.
EarthSky also suggested an electronic or transmission glitch, noting pixel values can change during readout, storage, compression, downlink or ground processing.
The episode fits a pattern of Mars-image pareidolia after Curiosity photos earlier this year were likened to dragon scales and polygon seas.