Bear on Mars? NASA satellite snaps a strange formation

It looks like a giant teddy bear’s face peering into space from the surface of Mars, but experts say it’s actually a satellite image that features some craters and a circular fracture.
The photo was taken Dec. 12, by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise) camera which is attached to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
NASA released the image to the public on Jan. 25.
While scientists are not certain what the Martian formation is made of, the University of Arizona team that operates the camera said in a blog post the apparent formation has a v-shaped collapse structure, two craters, and a circular fracture pattern.
While the University of Arizona team likened the image to a bear’s face, others point out online that it resembles an Angry Bird or the meme, Doge, among other things.
"The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater," a blog post on the University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Laboratory website reads. "Maybe the nose is a volcanic or mud vent and the deposit could be lava or mud flows?"
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched in 2005, on a mission to advance NASA's understanding of Mars through photo images. The HiRise camera takes stereo images that are helpful in measuring the topography of planets, to help determine areas where spacecraft could land one day.
The photo has made for some bear-y good jokes online:
A bear-y nice image, indeed! 🐻
— Lockheed Martin Space (@LMSpace) January 25, 2023
Captured by HiRISE on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, built and currently being flown by our @LockheedMartin space engineers.
RISKIN REPORTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Trudeau says Conservative interference study motion won't be a confidence vote
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote later today on the Conservative motion calling for a new study into foreign interference will not be a confidence vote.

Inflation in Canada: February saw largest deceleration since April 2020
The annual pace of inflation cooled in February as it posted its largest deceleration since April 2020.
opinion | What happens if you mistakenly get a larger tax refund?
Was your 2022 tax refund larger than you expected it to be?
Nordstrom Canada liquidation sales expected to begin today as store prepares for exit
Nordstrom is expected to begin liquidating its stores across Canada today.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial begins for Deer Valley ski crash
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
'Here I Am' photo gallery showcases older Canadians with Down syndrome
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
U.S. teacher shot by 6-year-old speaks out: 'It's changed me'
A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.
Report calls for restricting marketing to kids in grocery stores, restaurants
A new report that looks at the prevalence of marketing to children inside grocery stores and restaurants suggests regulation is needed to help reduce unhealthy food temptations.
Comparing the SVB collapse to 2008 crisis: Why one professor says the two are different
While the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the issues surrounding Credit Suisse have shaken investor confidence, a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis appears to be unlikely, one analyst says.