An image taken by the Mars Curiosity Rover of NASA has got an entirely new interpretation after the video posted by a group claimed it was an ancient tree stump on the Red Planet and a proof that life existed on Mars.
In a video, Paranormal Crucible speculated that the image is absolutely that of the "petrified remains" of a Martian tree.
The image was taken by the Curiosity Rover's Mastcam on March 25, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
"Object is around 3 feet in height, and with numerous discoveries of plant and animal life on mars, it would be logical to assume, that a variety of tree either existed or still exists on this enigmatic planet," the video's caption explained.
According to UFO Sightings Daily, there is some substance in the claim by Paranormal Crucible that the image is an ancient tree stump.
To support the contention, it pointed to the statements by NASA that Mars had Earth-like features until a solar explosion exhausted the planet's life-sustaining conditions.
Many viewers of the video also reacted with comments saying they are not convinced that the image is a tree stump.
"OMG, it's a rock!" a viewer exclaimed.
A similar controversy erupted in 2015 when UFO hunters claimed that a Martian image looks like a mysterious woman. The picture was taken by NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover.
Clues Of Life On Mars
Meanwhile, the contribution of NASA Curiosity rover in augmenting the search for life-supporting factors in Mars has been hailed by a scientist.
The rover landed on the Red Planet in August 2012.
Scientist Nina Lanza was associated with the assembly of rover's sensitive ChemCam. She noted the impetus rover gave to the search for life on Mars.
Rover is equipped with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument and Remote Micro-Imager to analyze the composition of Martian rocks and soil.
When ChemCam targets an object it vaporizes part of the material. Thus Martian rocks focused by ChemCam are heated up to a higher temperature equivalent to sun's surface temperature. The resulting light emitted from the object helps scientists in studying the composition of Martian rocks and soils.
Noting that all Martian dust is hydrated, Lanza explained that the dusty nature of Mars establishes that water is present on the planet, giving credence to the theory that water was abundant on ancient Mars.
The evidence of past life on Mars is also supported by some unique markers that indicated biological activity. A major marker could be manganese minerals that Curiosity discovered in rocks at Kimberley.
Trump Urges Early Crewed Mission To Mars
In a phone call with a team of U.S. astronauts at the International Space Station, President Trump stressed the need for conducting early Mars mission with astronauts on board.
He hailed NASA's work and praised the ISS station commander Peggy Whitson for completing 534 consecutive days in space.
"This is a very special day in the glorious history of American space flight," Trump said during the conversation lasting for about 20 minutes.
Hailing NASA, Trump said he would like to see a human mission to Mars "during my first term or, at worst, during my second term."
"We are absolutely ready to go to Mars," Whitson replied.
