Photos of Monoliths on mars.
There actually seems to be 3 structures in a pyramid shape.
Scientists at the university, who captured the image from a powerful camera on board an orbiting satellite, insist that the structure is a normal, if striking, natural phenomenon.
But sci-fi fans are said to be drawing parallels with the mysterious monoliths used to mark a change in human evolution in Stanley Kubrick's classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The latest image was taken as part of the University of Arizona's HiRise (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) project. The camera is able to take high-resolution images of Mars's surface from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
In Kubrick's adaptation of Arthur C Clarke's novel, the origins of the monoliths are never fully explained.
The University of Arizona has no such problems with their structure.
Alfred McEwen, professor of planetary science at the university and HiRise's principal investigator, said: "Layering from rock deposition combined with tectonic fractures creates right-angle planes of weakness such that rectangular blocks tend to weather out and separate from the bedrock." (hilariously not possible)
He added: "It is not that unusual. There are lots of rectangular structures on Mars.
"It is striking when you see one that is isolated, but they are common."
Veteran astronaut Buzz Aldrin recently stoked space conspiracy theory further by announcing that a similar "monolith" had been detected on Mars's moon Phobos.
Calling for money to be pumped into space exploration, Mr Aldrin - the second man to walk on the moon - told US network C-Span that scientists should focus on Mars's moon: "There is a monolith there, a very unusual structure on this little potato-shaped object that goes around Mars once every seven hours.
"When people find out about that, they are going to say 'who put that there?'. Well, the universe put it there, or if you choose, God put it there."
Comments
What layering, Prof?
What rock deposition?
What tectonic factures?
What weathering?
We're not talking about Earth - we're talking about Phobos, (a titchy little rock around Mars), a moon with no apparent geologic activity, no atmosphere, no nuffink!
To go by its barrel shape and the striations running down its sides, it looks more like something squeezed out a tube of toothpaste!
Why do these guys try to schmooze people with jargon like that? It doesn't just make them seem like complete idiots who don't know what they're talking about, but it actually leaves you wondering why they're behaving as if they're so scared out of their wits they'll say anything just to make it go away.
1/ the pictures are from Mars, not from Phobos.
2/ The quote from Pr Mc Ewen is no jargon (at least not more than your own use of "striations" ;-), simply very basic geological vocabulary that anyone is bound to have encountered in high school at some point. If they were paying attention, at least...
3/ overplaying the "us against them" argument is not exactly the most scientific of rebuttal methods ;-)
To Mr elluminati: why is Pr McEwen's quote hilariously not possible ?
In any case, whatever the explanation behind this phenomenon, it's fascinating. Thanks for posting it!