Alien footprints? This NASA image goes viral on social media

New Delhi, Apr 17: An image of the Mars crater released by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has gone viral on social media. This image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

"The Martian crater marks the spot," Nasa captioned the Instagram image, adding, "The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimetres (19.7 inches) per pixel," Nasa wrote in the caption.

"You're looking at 0° longitude on Mars-the Greenwich Observatory equivalent on the Red Planet. The Greenwich Observatory marks Earth's Prime Meridian, which is is a north-south line that defines where east meets west, and is used as the zero-reference line for astronomical observations," NASA said in a statement.

"The larger crater that sits within this crater, called the Airy Crater, originally defined zero longitude for Mars, but as higher resolution photos became available, a smaller feature was needed. This crater, called Airy-0 (zero) was selected because it did not need to adjust existing maps," it added.

Several Instagram users wondered whether the image looks like an alien footprint on Mars.

"Looks like an alien footprint on Mars," wrote one user.

"All of God's creation encompasses beauty and the universe is not an exemption," said another.

"Something spectacular that leaves you speechless!!!" added a third.