Science

Martian Sighting? Strange Pics From Mars Rover Explained

Over the last couple days, UFO enthusiasts have rallied behind pictures of four orbs that were taken by NASA’s rover “Curiosity” on Mars. But as many of these UFO stories often come to pass, a reasonable explanation has been cited and it could be one that has even caused problems for photographers here on Earth. It’s called “dead pixels.”

The Washington Post reported the group Alien Disclosure Group believed that photos beamed back from Curiosity earlier this week could possibly have captured four flying saucers. They put together this video with all the image and it enhanced with different filters:

Gizmodo describes out what is being seen here:

They are called dead pixels, and many cameras have them (the sensor in my Canon DSLR has a couple). Usually you don‘t see them because they get mixed with the noise of Earth’s atmosphere. In this case, against a perfectly clear sky in the thin atmosphere of Mars, it’s easy to spot them if you look close enough. And, if you sharpen them, they will appear to have volume. You can do the same thing in Photoshop and see how that works.

UFOs in Curiosity Picture Caused by Dead Pixels According to Experts

Specks in the distance were thought to possibly be UFOs but video analysts have said they are "dead pixels." (Image: YouTube Screenshot)

UFOs in Curiosity Picture Caused by Dead Pixels According to Experts

The group uploading the pictures filtered some of the images to highlight the specks more. (Image: YouTube Screenshot)

The Huffington Post has video analyst Marc Dantonio, who has studied UFO videos and also worked on government projects needing special effects, seconding Gizmodo’s conclusion on the specks.

“After watching the video, it is actually quite clear that these are one-pixel sized image anomalies,” Dantonio said to the Huffington Post. ”All CCD [cameras] have them, and in a bland atmosphere like that at Mars, they would be very obvious as opposed to an active atmosphere like Earth, where they could end up hidden for a long time before anyone noticed them.”

Still, with a mysterious blast being seen shortly after Curiosity touched down and this latest excitement over flying saucers that appear to be a defect in the camera itself, Gizmodo points out that with many UFO enthusiasts going through images from the rover with fine-tooth comb, this will likely not be the last time we hear of Martian sightings.

As a bonus, here’s another video uploaded by the Alien Disclosure Group which in the description states it shows “a possible ancient finger, a dome shaped object, a shoe or sandal and a possible martian creature”:

Related:

(H/T: Daily Mail)

Comments (183)

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  • Oneirishman
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:04pm

    I just received a call from a former friend of a friend of a guy who thinks he knew a Bain investor. Stating that he knows for sure Mitt Romney, who is very rich and hates middle class Americans, killed these pixels. But we will never know for sure until he releases 40 years of tax returns and submits to a very public oral exam. Well it’s now out. All pixel deaths in the solar system are directly caused by Mr. Romney, who’s dead Morman father would be very disappointed in his extreme Right wing tea party racist anti women son. How can we now trust a callous murdering rich guy in the White House, much less in your local Kodak Kiosk?

    Report Post »  
    • joey86bu
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:26pm

      LOL!!!!!!

      Well done sir.

      Report Post »  
    • MittensKittens
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:46pm

      Now that’s a fact…but personally I think it‘s Bush’s fault,

      Report Post » MittensKittens  
    • huey6367
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:07pm

      The same way can trust a guy that has an illegal SSN, a fraudulent birth certificate, a socialistic/communistic/anti-colonialistic ideology and a law degree but no evidence he ever went to the schools he claims, no transcipts from those schools and nothing he ever wrote.

      Just saying

      Romney/Ryan 2012

      Report Post »  
    • Gold Coin & Economic News
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:48pm

      Here’s a video where there are some pyramids:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3glxSnM71E

      Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
    • Cadcamtrainer
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:45pm

      Bush did it! (sarc)

      Report Post »  
    • TulsaYeeHaw
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 9:19pm

      You are all morons. The Imperial flagship, Draconian Bain, is in orbit right now, awaiting orders to incinerate farms that feed poor people. Get your facts right!!!

      Report Post »  
    • Imjetta
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 10:26pm

      LOLOL Well done! Maybe you have a writing career ahead of you :D

      Report Post » Imjetta  
    • Totally Domestic
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 10:29pm

      We will be seeing your comment in a Romney attack ad soon.
      Stop giving the Ax new ideas!

      Report Post »  
    • Dr Vel
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 11:17pm

      Oneirishman, I could almost believe you were serious but for one glaring omission: you forgot anal probes. As we all know all UFO’s use them.

      Report Post »  
    • Az_Wolverines
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 11:47pm

      I wonder what the Martian immigration conversations is.. Build a fence? Let us all in? Star Wars?

      Report Post »  
    • Wat Tyler
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 12:21am

      Yeah, Rumney definitely represents the elitist patrician class, not to mention the globalist Jew World Order.

      But at least he’s American…Unlike our Kenyan pretender.

      Release tax returns? How about release an authentic birth certificate?

      Write in Ron Paul….Alex Jones.

      Report Post » Wat Tyler  
    • sillyfreshness
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 1:58am

      Funny that a brand new multimillion dollar digital camera would have so many dead pixels in it. Also, I’ve never seen round dead pixels. Notice how the landscape is all squarish, but the pixels are round complete with shadows under them. Never seen dead pixels look like that before. Nice try at covering it up NASA. I‘m surprised they didn’t say it was swamp gas on Mars.

      Report Post » sillyfreshness  
    • Msgt Ret
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 7:44am

      Where are they giving anal probes? Uh…I only want to know to uh…avoid them yea.

      Report Post » Msgt Ret  
    • jimbo_from_suwanee
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 10:16am

      How many more dead pixels are we going to have to see in this solar system before be do something about guns?

      Report Post » jimbo_from_suwanee  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 10:32am

      He dead pixel theory could be it, but a dead pixel would just be a black spot, I’m thinking.
      Look at the alleged flying saucers, one of them has the characteristics of a rounded shape, PLUS. A rounded shadow underneath. I don’t think that is a dead pixel.
      A dead pixel would show up in the same place in every shot, would it not? I don’t see that happening here. Also, I don‘t think you’d be able to focus on a dead pixel, it would just be an out of focus black blob, just like a spot on your lense. Just some food for thought.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • focalpoint
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 12:19pm

      If they are truly dead pixels, they will be in every uncropped photo, in exactly the same place. Cropped photos will shift the pixels to a different spot and the space between them will be different, but each dead pixel will still have the same relationship to another dead pixel, with respect to the proportion of the crop.

      Report Post »  
    • theoldstoryteller
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 1:19pm

      You would rather trust Obama? You will see the truth when it’s too late. Your family has my condolences .

      Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 1:33pm

      @ TheOldStoryTeller
      Thx. I’ve always heard as we age we lose cerebral mass is that true?

      Report Post »  
    • Fecal_Matters
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 6:22pm

      Desert? Sandals? Finger? Strange Animals (Goat head)? Hmmm I think the drunks in NASA landed in a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan…and Mujibar blew him and his goat lover up when he saw this thing land.

      Report Post » Fecal_Matters  
    • Uranium Wedge
      Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:52am

      Wow! Rocks that look like something!
      Never seen that.

      Report Post » Uranium Wedge  
  • oldasdirt
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:04pm

    Watched the video.Got hungry.Ate a mars bar. The End.

    Report Post » oldasdirt  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:18pm

      Thank god you didn’t watch porn or this post may have been censored.

      Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:07am

      It is amazing how the Human Brain operates… to compare New & Unknown things… to it’s Stored Knowledge!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:41pm

      @LUKERW
      It’s amazing indeed! And also capable of what is commonly refer to as a “Brain Fart”. Resulting in posting seemingly unrelated rambling, merely to impress the reader with your intellectual prowess. Oh I’m just messin with ya, dude! LOL

      Report Post »  
  • Hepcat
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:03pm

    My brother lost his finger when he was a kid. How did it end up on Mars? ! ? ! ? !

    Report Post »  
    • mjs6029
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:34pm

      Missing sandals and fingers or body parts? Possible crappy looking fish pottery? Sounds like Curiosity landed in a Chicago landfill. I’ll have Obama get right on that!

      Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:58pm

      Maybe your brother gave the finger to Mars.

      Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 10:10pm

      Naw, he was too young to be a proctologist.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:02pm

    It would be way more frightening if they were on Uranus………….way more.

    Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:29pm

      Due to a lack of funding we will only be able to circle Uranis.

      Report Post »  
    • Tacit Eagle
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:45pm

      Uranus is mostly gas, which would make landing there most unpleasant.

      Report Post »  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 8:46am

      I read somewhere that Uranus surrounds a blackhole which would make it very hard to land on.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
    • Zipit
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 9:45am

      Recent photos of Uranus reveal strong presence of “klingons” obstructing view of said black hole!!

      Report Post »  
    • Leader1776
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 11:07am

      @ZIPIT
      Is there a new method of tying off ‘klingons’ where they then fall off returning full view?

      Report Post » Leader1776  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:21pm

      I think you guys milked it for all it’s worth.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Findalis
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:56pm

    Somebody needs to get out of his parents basement and get a real life.

    Report Post » Findalis  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:41pm

      They will miss you and that funny way you refer to yourself in the third person..

      Report Post »  
    • ToddinVB
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 10:47pm

      Irishman, you’re killin me. I couldn’t let that comment go unnoticed. It reminds me of how hysterical I am in my own mind.

      Report Post »  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 8:50am

      I‘m crackin’ up here guys! Hahahahaha :0D

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:56pm

    $2.5B and we get dead pixels? Geez….

    Report Post » The-Monk  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:37pm

      2.5 billion were for the live Pixels. However, in accordance with the Pixels religious belief, It will now cost the American taxpayer another 2.5 billion to fly them back to earth and give them a proper orthodox pixel burial.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:59pm

      @Oneirishman

      Thanks : )

      I also liked your other post above. LOL

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • BryanB
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 9:34am

      @The-Monk

      Really…..I could have went to Walmart and bought a $10.00 camera, and saved a NASA a hole lot of money…….

      Report Post » BryanB  
  • Mr_Ditters
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:41pm

    Yup I am sure that those super advanced aliens that have somehow figured out how to travel beyond relativistic speeds are super interested in a dead desert-like planet.

    Report Post »  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:58pm

      But since they ARE interested, our only conclusion is that it’s not a dead desert-like planet after all. Or….since we‘ve already established that they’re interested, and since most people assume it’s dead and desert-like, there must be something in the desert to draw them in. That leaves the most probable conclusion as being that there exists copious amounts of resources. What resources would they possibly need?? Energy resources. What kind? Nuclear, most likely. That means that we have to assume that Uranium and Plutonium are laced throughout Mars’ valuable desert-like landscape. But what if there isn’t?…and there very well may not be. Then the only answer remaining is crystals. There is power within crystals. Yes! That’s it! We’ve solved the conundrum. Pshh! Dead pixels….morons! The more likely explanation (based upon sound reasoning) is those are indeed UFOs, and they are mining Mars for crystals to fuel their intergalactic travel.

      Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:54pm

      I know right. Next thing you’ll be tellin me NASA will be spending Billions to send us pictures of……what was your pt again?

      Report Post »  
    • Amica
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 7:33pm

      Dilithium crystals!

      Report Post » Amica  
    • lukerw
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 1:59am

      If we have Vehicles & Cameras on Mars… then WE are the MARTIANS!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • eyestoseeearstohear
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:37pm

    Oh, BROTHER…
    Did you all REALLY see ANYTHING?

    A bit of a SRETCH, I’d say.

    Report Post »  
  • Mr.Fitnah
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:34pm

    Please million in research and testing and they have dead pixels?
    I would fire the lot of them

    Report Post » Mr.Fitnah  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:10pm

      Oh, c’mon! Despite the popular belief, pixies aren’t immortal.

      The Martian atmosphere is thinner. Hence more cosmic rays reach the surface. When one did hit the lens, it knocked off temporarily a pixel here/there by overload on the plate. Yea, they could have an extrapolation algorithm on he processing end to correct for it, but then that would be altering the image (and water on the conspirationists mills). Enuff that they were “correcting” the initial sets of images a while ago, filtering out blue part of the spectrum because the air was blue on images and was believed it needs to be reddish (pinkish). It doesn’t. It is really blue, unless there is a sand storm throwing heaps of dust particles in the air.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:00pm

      Only a heartless Liberal would fire a dead pixel!

      Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 9:40pm

      Maybe not, a liberal would re-hire the dead pixel as a voter. Actually, he would not ask for an agreement. Te beauty of it is that he doss not have to shell out any compensation. Dead pixels tell no tales.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • Sirfoldallot
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:33pm

    This mabe the Hope & strang were looking 4.

    Report Post » Sirfoldallot  
  • NewLife56
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:32pm

    I know what it is. Obama was the leader of Mars, once thriving, once an economic leader in th solar system, then after he was elected, this is what happened to mars.

    Report Post » NewLife56  
  • salvawhoray
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:27pm

    The most famous Apollo 11 picture has the most anomalies of all Apollo 11 mission, yet they show you it every year on the news in the back ground.
    If you look at it you can notice that there is no crater under the capsule and no moon dust on the bottom of the support legs. It looks like it was just placed there.
    I don‘t know why we are so hung up on Mars when we can’t even go to the Moon.

    Report Post » salvawhoray  
    • TXFIRE1
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 3:10pm

      OMG, even the goofballs at mythbusters debunked you conspiracy theory idiots. I suppose the recent pictures from space of the Apollo landers is fake as well. Oh wait, let me guess, The universe revolves around earth…….or maybe just you.

      Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 4:25pm

      Okay TXFIRE time for your medicine.

      Report Post »  
    • salvawhoray
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 7:29pm

      Man cannot survive going through the Van Allen Belt of radiation.
      Wake up jackhole.
      They can bring 3 cars to drive on the moon, but they can’t bring a telescope?
      Have you seen the footage of the astronuts faking that they were half way to the moon, but really they were just right out side orbit?
      Question: if they been to the moon then why fake any part?
      Do some research on the Van Allen Belt. Don’t go by myth busters because only a fool would thing man can survive going through the V.A.B.

      Report Post » salvawhoray  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 8:47pm

      Question: If they had been to the moon why would they fake any part?
      Answer: So that nobody ever finds out that it is made of processed cheese. Naturally cured cheese has long been the widely excepted belief. And once they learned it was actually processed….well let’s just say cover-up, babe!

      Report Post »  
  • AngryDwarf
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:25pm

    Just proves UFO’s are the same size as dead pixels.

    Report Post »  
    • NewLife56
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:30pm

      Lol

      Report Post » NewLife56  
    • Sirfoldallot
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:31pm

      May be something on the lens like dust ??

      Report Post » Sirfoldallot  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:49pm

      Only an AngryDwarf would have that kind of insight.

      Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:49am

      ILLUSION: Cameras do Not See, but record Wave Frequencies… which are Interpreted via expected Environmental Conditions… then sent to Earth… for Computer Interpretation and Enhancement.

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • EmilyR
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:23pm

    Where are all the accusations that this is a scam and they are filming in the desert or a Hollywood studio?

    Report Post »  
    • salvawhoray
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:28pm

      I don’t see why not; they faked the moon landing so why stop there?

      Report Post » salvawhoray  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:45pm

      That’s over at the Daily KOS. But tonight on MSNBC Chris Matthews has proof that Bush Lied And Pixels Died.

      Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:22pm

    Who really cares?

    Report Post » blackyb  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 6:15pm

      Nobody really cares, but we put up with your sorry attitude cause mom said you were the family idiot.

      Report Post »  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:22pm

    Uh, rocks.

    Report Post » Tri-ox  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 6:25pm

      And the question is:
      What is is Joe Bidens head?

      Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 10:18pm

      Oneirishman, is your question emulating Biden? That would be he only explanation making sense.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • AR485
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:22pm

    Everyone knows that zooming picture frames and eerie music makes anything true.

    Report Post »  
    • burnteye86
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:52pm

      Yep. I wasn’t convinced till I turned the vol up and heard the space alien music. No doubt about it, they’re flying saucers alright.

      Report Post » burnteye86  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 6:39pm

      And if you take that a step further add Greek columns, reverb, and an all encompassing slogan you amass enough electoral votes to become the leader of the free world!

      Report Post »  
    • Amica
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 7:38pm

      Oneirishman…you’re my new fave!

      Report Post » Amica  
  • NSDQ
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:20pm

    Pixels arent elliptical, dont all die in the same state meaning some are alittle reddish, some hot/white, some black, some bluish and the shadow variants would be way different for each, unlike in the pics where each has the same shadow pattern

    Report Post » NSDQ  
  • thibx
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:19pm

    retirement home for the oboma’s, nancy, harry and fluke.

    Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:16pm

    I am waiting for some old martian to walk up with a broom and say..,’get this da*n piece of machinery out of my driveway!’

    Report Post »  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 7:25pm

      Well that just sounds crazy, what would an old Martian be doing with a broom?

      Report Post »  
    • asybot12
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 9:05pm

      @oneirishman, love your posts but even you know Mars is dusty place! (he could have used a Swiffer though)

      Report Post »  
  • Platonician
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:13pm

    UFO speculations are just another proof of the calamitous state of public education at the hands of atheist, left-wing, unionized, lazy teachers.

    Report Post » Platonician  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:25pm

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjvnTxWP7vo

      Report Post » RJJinGadsden  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 5:07pm

      Well, no. It’s unrelated. Unless you mean that UFO’s really are a manifestations of demonic entities, basta.

      Most are explainable, some aren’t. I don’t know what these some are, all I can do is speculate. A speculation (a cousin to hypothesis) is a tool of inquiry. Once I stop asking questions, I may be closer to a borg-anism than to a human.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 6:11pm

      Just like your post does.

      Report Post »  
    • Platonician
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 7:30pm

      @Twobyfour Thanks for enlighten me on the deepest meaning of speculation…Specualition might be “the cousin of hypothesis” but most often it’s the twin sister of BS.
      All UFO sightings are explainable if you consider that the nearest habitable planet is 20.3 light years from the Earth…Oh, and in fact isn’t habitable.

      @Oneirishman Says Irish potato man… It should be true.

      Report Post » Platonician  
    • Oneirishman
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 9:04pm

      @Platonican
      I was betting we would have an uranus sighting! Thx for proving me right!

      Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on August 23, 2012 at 9:57pm

      Platonician, there was this fella, an esteemed member of French Academy of Science that made a definite authoritative pronouncement about machines heavier than air not possible, a few years into 20th century. Not a half a decade later, he must have felt rather stupid.

      Hope that civ does not go completely down to tubes or that you’d be still alive in the next 20-30 years, so you can see the cosmology turn upside down.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • cloudsofwar
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:13pm

    isn’t that the finger that bill clinton pointed at us on tv. i did not have sexual relations with that woman. thanks blaze some news to break the usual depressing news.

    Report Post »  
  • chips1
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:09pm

    The only Martians around are in the W.H. The only thing left on Mars is part of a sandal. I think it says “Made in Kenya”. I guess that‘s the future of Earth after Obama’s term.

    Report Post »  
  • Mapache
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:08pm

    If you zoom in close enough to the Martian spaceships you will probably see an Obama sticker on them.

    Report Post » Mapache  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on August 23, 2012 at 2:07pm

    Those dang kids and their frisbees, YOU AREN”T GETTING THESE BACK, THEY’RE MINE NOW. See, even the martian’s are mean.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
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