A Harvard astrophysicist and NASA are locked in a public disagreement over a small, shiny object photographed on the Martian surface.
The dispute hinges on whether the object is human-made debris or just another wind-carved rock — and the two sides can’t even agree on how big it is.
The object, captured by NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover in 2022, resembles what astrophysicist Avi Loeb described as a metal party hat. NASA says it’s a natural formation. Loeb wants the rover sent back to examine it up close.
What Did NASA’s Curiosity Rover Photograph on Mars?
On August 7, 2022, the Mast camera onboard NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover snapped an image in the Paraitepuy Pass, a narrow gap in the Gale Crater on the slopes of Mount Sharp.
Among the rocks scattered across the Martian surface, one object stood out: a shiny, cone-shaped form that looked nothing like its surroundings.
Amateur Mars researcher Rami Bar Ilan first spotted the object in NASA’s photo archive. Dr. Jan Špaček of the Florida-based Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution then brought it to the attention of Loeb.
In a March 7 post on Medium, Loeb shared the image with a personal assessment.
“The shiny object has a perfectly round cylindrical shape with a length of about 20 centimeters and a flat end,” Loeb wrote. “The most likely explanation is that it corresponds to human-made debris.”
Why Does Avi Loeb Want NASA to Redirect the Rover?
Loeb publicly urged NASA to redirect the Curiosity rover — which was about eight kilometers away at the time — to investigate the object. He called it a higher priority than the rover’s current tasks.
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“In my opinion, NASA should prioritize going back to examine the cylinder relative to the more mundane tasks of the Curiosity rover is pursuing,” Loeb told The New York Post on March 14.
He went on to frame the issue as a matter of public accountability.
“NASA is funded by the taxpayers and if we poll taxpayers they would likely agree with me that understanding the origin of the mysterious cylinder should be the top priority of Curiosity,” Loeb added.
What Is NASA’s Explanation for the Object?
NASA identified the object as a naturally occurring rock likely shaped by Martian winds.
A NASA spokesperson, in an interview with The New York Post published March 28, called it an example of pareidolia — the psychological phenomenon where people perceive familiar patterns in random or ambiguous shapes.
“We’ve seen many, many Martian rocks that exhibit shapes that, from a particular angle, look like a more familiar shape,” the spokesperson said.
One major point of disagreement: size. NASA says the cone is only one centimeter, far smaller than Loeb’s 20-centimeter estimate. The rover allegedly photographed it from a distance of just 13 feet.
If NASA’s assumption is correct, it wouldn’t be the first time Martian winds created such a peculiar object.
For example, NASA once uncovered a rock nicknamed “Terra Firme” that looks like an open book with flaked pages and a hill formation resembling a bear’s face, complete with crater “eyes,” a V-shaped “nose” and a circular fracture pattern forming the “head.”
How Did Avi Loeb Respond to NASA’s Explanation?
Loeb rejected NASA’s findings and stood by his 20-centimeter size estimate.
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He argued the object has a smooth cylindrical surface with a flat end — not a characteristic of natural rocks. He also noted that no other rocks resembling the object appear anywhere in surrounding Curiosity rover images.
“The image clearly shows that there is no rock resembling this anomalous object within its natural environment,” Loeb told The Post.
He challenged NASA directly, asking the agency to produce another example of a similarly shaped rock from any Curiosity rover image.
“Also, a rock is not expected to have a smooth cylindrical surface with a flat end. If this object is a rock, we should see other examples of it,” he stated.
The disagreement remains unresolved. The object sits on the slopes of Mount Sharp. The rover has moved on, but some scientists clearly haven’t.
