The universe is a strange place full of mysteries, and we know surprisingly little about what exactly is going on in outer space. Humanity has always had an interest in the world outside of Earth, and since our launch to the Moon, our curiosity has been insatiable. Speaking of Curiosity, the NASA rover by the same name has just discovered an object on Mars that seems to look like a cannonball.
NASA Rover: The Cannonball on Mars
The Curiosity NASA Rover has helped scientists and the world at large get a sense of what exactly the planet of Mars has hidden. We’ve discovered some chemical markers and other indications that seem to suggest that life might have once existed somewhere outside of Earth, but there’s still been no real proof. Some Mars enthusiasts believe we’ve finally found some conclusive evidence, however, with the recent discovery of an oddly shaped “cannonball.”
The object was captured on camera by the NASA rover, laying on the dusty surface of the planet. It’s a blueish-grey orb that definitely doesn’t look like it belongs on the largely reddish-brown landscape of Mars. Some alien hunters believe that the cannonball is a remnant from some sort of ancient Martian war, but NASA believes the answer is a little less far-fetched than that.
The Mars Blueberries
The space agency has taken a huge amount of pictures of the planet and periodically releases a huge amount of said photos to the public. After the release, amateur astronomers and other space enthusiasts always find some sort of weird picture that they believe suggests the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Unfortunately for those looking for an alien phenomenon, the “cannonball” has a slightly less exciting origin. These blueish balls, nicknamed “blueberries” by NASA, are a relatively common occurrence. Rather than being a remnant of some ancient war, they are the result of a scientific process called concretion, in which minerals gather and harden inside a water-soaked rock. These new formations are more resistant to erosion, and are left as oddly colored spheres as the rest of the material wastes away.
Alien hunters are unconvinced, holding onto the idea that NASA is hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life. While there’s definitely potential for life outside of earth, it’s a fact that these “blueberries” are simply a collection of minerals rather than the ammunition of ancient civilizations. For now, the idea of a sophisticated alien species lurking nearby is still that of science-fiction. There’s no doubt that NASA hasn’t released all space information to the public, but that fact isn’t necessarily nefarious. Assuming that the agency is holding secret proof of the existence of life when so many scientists have devoted their careers to discovering more about space just doesn’t seem like a feasible explanation.
The Curiosity NASA rover will continue its expedition and feed us more and more information about the alien planet. It’s possible that we’ll come across something revolutionary, but these “blueberries” definitely aren’t.
