Engulfed by pitch-black darkness and silence, the vast outer space always finds a way to keep our imagination turning. As unforgiving as it is, space is hardly a place, but the final frontier beyond which lies impenetrable dullness. And even if you’re a longtime star-gazer, who loves gazing at the starry night skies, you’ll probably start skipping this little routine once you see the following spooky NASA images.

Of course, space isn't really associated with glee or pleasant adventures; however, it still piques the curiosity of so many people out there. Furthermore, it seems that everybody wants to know what really goes on Mars. Does an army of ill-tempered aliens hide out on the Red Planet? Well, you will never truly know that unless you put yourself up there.

But still, we cannot help but wonder what sorts of bizarre things NASA astronauts and experts have ever seen in outer space. And even if you refuse to believe these guys, scroll down below, and you’ll be stunned to see some really spooky photographic evidence.

From rare planets, covered with unexplainable spots, to rock formations that look like a crooked face, the vast outer space will always be as mysterious as it ever was.

22 Rock Formations That Look Like Human Faces?

No, you cannot see that on the news. Apparently, the Red Planet is not only quite a mysterious place in the universe, but it's full of odd things that are merely beyond any reasonable explanation. Admittedly, this visage can only prove how little we actually know about Mars and outer space in general. Indeed, this NASA image is so compelling that we can barely break free from its wicked spell.  Is that really a human face with big round eyes, full lips, and a perky little nose?

According to Science.nasa.gov, "This huge rock formation, which resembles a human head, was probably formed by shadows giving the illusion of eyes, nose and mouth."

Well, whatever it truly is, this jaw-dropping rock formation certainly looks like it's just been sparked to life.

21 What's That? An Extraterrestrial Force?

Frankly, this odd visage can perfectly match the profile of the Red Planet. It's not only quite an uncanny sight to see on Mars, but it surely makes many NASA astronauts run for the hills, except there are no hills, only rocks, dust, and complete wickedness. And if you take a closer look at it, you'll probably realize that these lines look like intersecting swirling trails. Were they left by some dust devils sprinting across the sand dunes on Mars? Well, according to CBSNews.com, this 800-meter-tall plume of dust could have been caused by the warm air rapidly rising near the surface level.

20 The Mysterious Hole On Mars

It's no secret that the surface of Mars is richly covered with all sorts of odd holes and formations. But while such jagged areas are quite easily explained, such curious pits in the picture above are quite a different story. According to Sciencealert.com, these deep pits measure over hundreds of meters in diameter. Theoretically, such oddly shaped holes could have been caused by meteor impact craters or other volcanic activities; however, neither of the two can fully explain this phenomenon. Indeed, Mars has always been quite a mysterious planet, and these weird pits can only prove this statement.

19 A Thigh Bone Was Found On Mars

You didn't see THAT one coming, did you? Well neither did we. Back in 2014, NASA's Curiosity rover located an unusual object that somehow resembled a human thigh bone. At first, the experts tried to refute the speculation; however, they soon realized that this odd rock formation was an actual femur bone from a human thigh. After the unique discovery, which is indeed quite spooky,  scientists and NASA experts explained that the strange shape of the bone was most likely the product of erosion by water or wind. But could it have been something else? Well, we'd better stop right here before it gets too crazy.

18 Was That An Actual Tadpole?

Another pretty strange thing that couldn’t escape NASA's attention was this tadpole-like object. In February 2018, the space agency revealed that after the necessary investigation and research, it was concluded that the tadpole-shaped creation was an actual circular crater and the “tail” was carved out by water movement. This also brings rise to another question about the watery history of the Red Planet; however, the space agency also added that Mars is still incapable of hosting any amphibian life whatsoever despite its legendary watery background. Apparently, this mysterious planet is still too sterile to support and sustain life.

"We can infer that water is flowing outward because we have the necessary

terrain-height information," the space agency reported in February 2018.

17 Avalanches Happen On Mars As Well

Although it seems that Mars is quite a sterile planet where nothing particularly interesting ever happens, you’ll be surprised to learn that avalanches – or jokingly called Marsalanches – are often seen there as well.

Thanks to this 2010 image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we can see a thick cloud of particles over a steep cliff. Of course, this is hardly a sign from some factory on Mars but is most likely the result of a carbon-dioxide frost that was eventually transformed into an avalanche. Such a phenomenon usually happens in springtime – yes, there are, in fact, seasons on Mars – which is between April and May on our planet.

16 A Shiny Object Was Spotted On Mars

What’s that sparkly thing on the surface of Mars? Well, it's not like we totally hate it or anything of the sort, however, it’s still a bit weird that the Mars rover has actually spotted this super bright and glistening item tucked into the seemingly barren soil of Mars. Furthermore, CNET.com also reported that the tiny item in question was most likely part of the geology of the Red Planet; however, they still don’t know how come it bears such a sparkly, almost too sophisticated nature. But after all, this is yet another bizarre feature about the Red Planet you had no idea about until now.

15 A Floating 'Spoon'

Well, you might have thought that lunchtime was finally over, but now it seems that you’ve got a spoon to deal with. Perhaps it might actually come in handy when you're ready to take a bite of that doughnut-like formation.

But unlike that doughnut, which loves playing hide-and-seek with us, this spoon-shaped object seems to be stretching out over the Martian landscape while casting a thick shadow underneath. Should we take it as a sign that cooking is probably a popular activity on the Red Planet? Well, we don’t know the answer to this question. But we can assure you that even such delicate formations on Mars wouldn't crumble down to the ground just as easily as they would on Earth, so the “spoon” would probably keep staying like this for a while.

14 Is That The Martian Muscleman?

When NASA released this unusual image captured by a rover, some space fans took to Flickr to share their wild, almost intrusive thoughts about the strange object. While most were dead-sure that it was, in fact, an alien muscleman, others quickly refuted such ridiculous assumptions. According to NASA scientists, the most likely explanation seemed to be a lot less exciting and compelling than imagining a metal-forging alien. The object was probably caused by a tiny piece of a meteorite. But interestingly, some people even suggested that it could've been the result of some pretty messed-up lighting. But either way, we're pretty sure that it wasn't an alien muscleman or anything of the sort.

13 The Mysterious Mesa

Last year NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the most compelling image of an odd formation that was later dubbed “the labyrinth of the night’.

As the rover was roaming around this wavy area, covered in sand dunes and mesa, it captured this heavily eroded place with clusters of boulders that were probably sedimentary deposits. In fact, it’s believed that these deposits got exhumed in the process of erosion.

"This layered mesa is probably comprised of sedimentary deposits that are being exhumed as it erodes," said NASA. Apparently, the Red Planet is filled to the brink with such bizarre objects and views, waiting to be discovered.

12 Is That The Bright Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

If you’ve ever wondered what could possibly lie beyond the horizon, then we may be able to answer your question. In 2014, NASA’s rover captured this pretty unique and interesting photo showing a small spot of light on the horizon of the Red Planet. Of course, such an image would instantly excite the UFO community as it sparked major speculation about the source of that unusual bright light. Could that ever serve as evidence of some extraterrestrial activity going on there? Well, according to Doug Ellison - another NASA scientist - this spot of light was most likely the result of a cosmic ray hit, and nothing more. Sadly, the UFO community was once again disheartened by those NASA experts.

11 A Shiny Piece Of A Destroyed Mars Rover Was Found On Mars

So far we've seen that NASA rovers often bump into quite unusual items on the mysterious Red Planet. In 2012, The Mars Curiosity Rover noticed another pretty tiny object on the ground that didn’t really match the surroundings. Surely, it sparked speculation about Jimmy Hoffa’s cufflink to the item being an AOL CD. But apart from the jokes, NASA took matters into its own hands when it announced that this sparkly item was an actual small plastic piece of an old rover and it probably broke off at some point while the rover was exploring the planet. Well, this version of the story may actually reflect the reality, but it doesn’t take away the fact that it sounds quite strange.

10 Spiders On Mars?

Could these have really been spiders? But how come they managed to survive in such an environment?! Well, these are not actual spiders, but an active seasonal process, commonly known as the “araneiform terrain.” Earlier this year, NASA accidentally captured this pretty unusual view that emerged from the landscape on Mars. The image clearly shows a carbon dioxide ice cap engulfing the whole region as it makes it look like it’s jamming with spiders. The phenomenon is often described by experts as a spider-like mound. But while this curious process cannot be seen on Earth, it seems to be quite a regular activity at the South Pole of Mars.

9 NASA's Rover Might Have Seen More Than Just Some Odd 'Sticks'

Sometimes it’s really hard to make out blurry images that may or may not show something unusual or even quite spooky. Frankly, it’s probably just as hard to judge the size of seemingly recognizable objects in close-up images from the Red Planet. But this time, NASA’s rover showed us several stick-like figures that were only about 6 millimeters long (or a quarter-inch long). Even to this date, scientists aren’t exactly unanimous when it comes to this bizarre sighting although some believe that the stick-like figures were actual minerals and crystals. Theoretically, these sparkly rocks might have served to fill in spaces where crystals had previously formed. But much like anything else on Mars, there's no evidence of that either.

8 A Mini Meteorite Was Noticed In The Gale Crater

In 2016, NASA's rover bumped into quite an odd meteorite while roaming around the base of Mount Sharp in the Gale crater on Mars. From the look of things, this rock resembled a mini version of a solid meteorite and it would probably look twice as tiny if you put it in the palm of your hand; however, the rover's close-up images show how sophisticated and intricate the surface of that mini meteorite truly is. As a result, NASA experts and researchers dubbed the atypical meteorite "The Egg Rock." Obviously, it’s not only quite a rare view even on Mars, but this object has got a pretty ridiculous shape as well.

7 The Closer You Look, The Weirder It Gets

If you dare to take a closer look at this tiny shred of metal, you’ll once again realize that Mars isn’t at all devoid of things to see and do. Well, it may be pretty much uninhabitable because of the lack of oxygen and water – which sure sounds like vital factors for staying alive – but the rover’s ChemCam often snaps super mysterious objects and views. This time, though, NASA didn’t just see another shiny rock formation, but an odd object with a crooked face. But again, NASA wasn’t going to let us dive too deep into our wild thoughts, so it described the odd object as an oddly-shaped iron meteorite. But regardless of what NASA thinks of it, it will hardly stop our imagination from running wild anyway.

6 This Unusual Doughnut-Shaped Formation Will Surely Make Your Stomach Rumble

Can you see an odd doughnut-shaped object in this photo? Well, believe it or not, some people actually considered it an alien fungus, but thankfully, NASA wasn’t having any of that nonsense. This quite unusual doughnut-shaped formation is believed to have changed its location a few times because it suddenly disappeared in the before-and-after NASA images. Eventually, NASA announced that this strange object, which might have enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with the world, was an actual rock formation. The experts suggested that the rover might have actually dislodged it after driving over it by accident. Sorry, doughnut lovers, but this mystery has just been unveiled.

5 This Waffle-Shaped Island On Mars Will Probably Ruin Your Healthy Lunch

Alright, we totally admit that the jelly doughnut story didn’t make much sense, but what about a waffle-shaped island on Mars? Well, this one can surely push your imagination to the limit.

In another equally strange image from the Mars Orbiter, there was an actual island located on the surface of Mars. But while this isn’t really that spooky, its strange form truly is.

The 1.2-mile-wide "island" has been located nearby an area of volcanic activity. Of course, it’s not really the perfect evidence of anything; however, this oddly shaped island could be the result of lava pushing the formation up from underneath.

4 Odd Dragon Scales Were Photographed On Mars As Well

Strangely, even NASA happens to be a loyal fan of “Game of Thrones”. Well, this sure serves as a pretty good reason why it actually dubbed these rare formations “dragon scales”. But do not think that these scaly patterns come from an ancient creature that used to wander around the sand dunes on Mars. No, that’s hardly the case here. According to what NASA has revealed, these odd rock formations were caused by a unique process involving erosion. Evidently, the nature of the water that seems to have caused the alternation must have interacted with the rock in such a way that it formed something like clay which was later dubbed “dragon scales”.

"The nature of the water responsible for the alteration, and how it interacted

with the rock to form the clay, remains poorly understood,” NASA revealed in

July 2017.

3 Bizarre Patterns Have Occurred On The Surface Of Mars

Earlier this year, NASA posted this Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image with the following caption "The Case of the Martian Boulder Piles."

But if you neglect those gloomy "ghost dunes" for a moment, you'll probably see a bunch of open spaces along with a neat series of odd boulder piles. Additionally, NASA experts revealed that the piles could have been caused by the so-called “frost heaves” – a process of freezing and thawing the rocks into various shapes. Although a similar process has already been witnessed on our planet, the experts have never seen such odd boulder piles on the surface of Mars.