NASA’s 'square on Mars' image that went viral overnight: What scientists found next shocked many

A strange square-like shape spotted on Mars has been doing the rounds online again, pulling in fresh waves of curiosity. The image, originally captured by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor back in 2001, shows what looks like a neat geometric form sitting inside a crater. Some social media users jumped quickly, suggesting everything from hidden ruins to signs of an ancient civilisation. It spread fast, as these things usually do.But space scientists and geologists are not convinced by the excitement. The same region has been observed again by later missions, and the shape does not really hold up under clearer imaging. It seems more like a trick of angles, shadows, and natural rock formations than anything artificial. Mars has a habit of playing with human imagination like that. Experts say such illusions often appear in space images, especially when lighting and resolution create patterns that resemble familiar shapes to the human brain.The original image comes from an old NASA mission, now long retired. Mars Global Surveyor operated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mapping large portions of the Martian surface. In one of its frames, a section of a crater appears to show sharp edges that loosely resemble a square. The image resurfaced on various social media platforms, where users zoomed in, cropped sections, and highlighted the “perfect angles.” Some posts went viral, with claims that the structure looked “engineered.” A few public figures even reacted, adding fuel to the conversation. NASA scientists, though, point out something simple. The image resolution is limited, and lighting plays a huge role. What appears sharp in one version becomes far less convincing when viewed in greater detail.2025 viral image of a square on Mars:

Later observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter give a clearer picture of the same area. The HiRISE camera, which is far more advanced, shows uneven terrain, small cliffs, and scattered mounds. A NASA spokesperson reportedly explained that what looks like a “corner” is actually a cliff edge shaped by the natural breakdown of terrain over time. Mars is full of these fractured landscapes. The surface constantly shifts through wind erosion and ancient geological stress.It’s not unusual for random formations to look structured from a distance. On Mars, that effect becomes stronger because of low lighting angles and heavy shadow contrast. There’s also a psychological angle here. Experts often refer to something called pareidolia. It is the tendency of the human brain to see familiar shapes in random patterns.Once the brain spots something like a “square,” it tries to complete the picture. Even when the physical evidence does not fully support it. That is how many famous Mars “discoveries” have gone viral in the past, including the well-known “Face on Mars,” which later turned out to be just a naturally shaped hill.One overlooked point is that geometry is not exclusive to human construction. Nature produces straight lines and sharp angles in many ways. Rock fractures can intersect at right angles. Volcanic activity can split terrain into grid-like patterns. Even dried mud and salt flats can form structured shapes over time. Earth has plenty of examples. The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland shows hexagonal basalt columns formed through cooling lava. Similar processes could easily explain angular patterns on Mars.So the “square” is likely just a mix of fractured rock layers and erosion lines intersecting unusually. Nothing more structured underneath.