Mysterieuze ruimtekrab gespot op Mars

"A strange object seen in a recent NASA image of Mars has set imaginations running wild among fans of the red planet. The photo was taken by NASA sometime in July but reappeared in Facebook group Journey to the Surface of the Moon, whose slogan is 'They will not tell the truth about MARS'.

But scientists were quick to douse the excited speculation with hard fact. NASA Crab like shape captured on the surface of Mars Mystery: What could it be? Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the Center for SETI Research, said he put down the appearance of the 'space crab' to a phenomenon called pareidolia. Like seeing animals in clouds, this is the brain's ability to see shapes in random objects. He says he gets sent similar images showing formations like the crab about once a week. "Those that send them to me are generally quite excited, as they claim that these frequently resemble something you wouldn't expect to find on the rusty, dusty surface of the Red Planet. "It's usually some sort of animal, but occasionally even weirder objects such as automobile parts. Maybe they think there are cars on Mars." He added: "Recognizing a crab in a landscape filled with wind-weathered rocks is no more surprising -- nor more significant -- than seeing a winking face in a semi-colon followed by a parenthesis. ;)"