'Alien gun' on Mars? Resurfaced viral NASA photo sparks fresh extraterrestrial theories

Theory Briefing

• A NASA photo of the Martian surface has gone viral again, with viewers insisting a rock formation looks exactly like an alien firearm.
• The human brain is wired to find familiar shapes in random textures — faces, animals, and apparently, weapons on other planets.
• The image has reignited extraterrestrial theories despite NASA offering no such interpretation of the formation.
• Viral resharing of old images can make a years-old photo feel like a fresh discovery, amplifying fringe theories each cycle.