--- title: "Bad News! That “Door” on Mars Doesn’t Look Like Much When Zoomed Out" description: "Apparently that photo of a \"door\" on the surface of Mars was cropped just so to make it seem like something much cooler than it really is. " date: "2022-05-16" modified: "2022-05-16" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/mars-door-zoomed-out" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "life on mars" - "mars" - "mars rover" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # Bad News! That “Door” on Mars Doesn’t Look Like Much When Zoomed Out ![Apparently the photo of a "door" on the surface of Mars was cropped just so to make it seem like something much cooler than it really is. ]() *\Image: NASA/Futurism\* ## Door Open Apparently that [photo of a "door" on the surface of Mars]() was cropped *just so* to make it seem like something much cooler than it really is. Over the weekend, a photo from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover went viral because it depicted what appeared to be a [rectangular doorway cut into the Red Planet's Mount Sharp](). Though Mars Science Laboratory project scientist [Ashwin Vasavada assured *Gizmodo*]() that it was nothing more than a naturally-forming rock formation in ancient sandstone, some true believers weren't convinced. Since the photo of the "doorway" went viral, professional debunker Mick West has posted the zoomed-out photos of Mount Sharp taken by Curiosity — and, unsurprisingly, it doesn't look like much of anything from that perspective. https://twitter.com/MickWest/status/1524424523382026241 ## Could It Be? This isn't the first time in recent months that space photos have been misleading. Remember when the Chinese space program trumpeted an alleged [cube found on the Moon]()? It was [literally just a rock](). All the same, it's very unlikely that UFO enthusiasts are going to take the word of a professional skeptic like West to shoot down their theories. And the same week that the Mars "door" photo went viral, scientists did indeed publish a study that [could have huge implications for finding life]() on the fourth rock from the Sun. And really, at the end of the day, who doesn't want to believe? **READ MORE:** [NASA's Curiosity Rover Spotted a 'Doorway' on Mars]() \[*Gizmodo*\] **More on Mars:** *[NASA Is Now Running Into Serious Issues With Its Mars Helicopter]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()