Home » Science & Nature » The Solar System » Our 'Spooky' Solar System

Our 'Spooky' Solar System

© Dina Ely

Because space is mostly unexplored, and we know so little about the universe, it gives rise to all sorts of folklore. Sometimes the stories and theories about our solar system are downright scary! In this article, we will look at some of the spooky tales about objects and areas in our galaxy.

The Face on Mars

In the summer of 1976, an unmanned exploration vessel called the "Viking Orbiter 1" was orbiting Mars, taking pictures of the planet's surface, looking for good places for another Viking vessel to land. As the orbiter photographed the many hills and valleys and craters on Mars, it captured a photograph of a hill that would go down in history as one of the most mysterious discoveries in our solar system.

The hill bears a striking resemblance to a human face! Could it be that aliens on Mars (called "Martians") have been watching us here on Earth, and erected a monument in our likeness? Many people who believe that aliens exist consider the face on Mars to be proof.

Scientists argue that it is just coincidence. The way that the hill is shaped allows for light and shadow to fall in a pattern that vaguely looks like the face of man. The debate continues to rage over whether or not the face on Mars is an accident or a monument made by aliens.

No one knows for sure. And I doubt that we will ever know the true nature of the face on Mars. So it remains an exciting, and a little bit scary, mystery of our neighboring red planet!

Pluto, Mystery Planet

Pluto is the furthest planet from the sun. Even our powerful Hubble telescope can barely capture images of this tiny, distant body. It was discovered only 73 years ago, and we know very little about it.

There is a big debate about Pluto amongst astronomers. Some say that Pluto is indeed a genuine planet, and others say that Pluto is just a ball of gas, and shouldn't be called a planet at all. However, most people accept Pluto as the ninth planet in our solar system.

Adding to the intrigue of this dark and secretive planet is its name. "Pluto" is the Roman God of the Underworld, a god who dwelled in darkness and oversaw the realm of death. The planet has a moon called "Charon". In Greek mythology, "Charon" is the ferryman who carries the dead into the Underworld.

There have been several Science Fiction movies about traveling to Pluto. These movies often portray Pluto as being possessed by ghosts or inhabited by dangerous aliens. With our current technology, traveling to Pluto is impossible. It is likely to be many, many years before we can even try to visit Pluto. For now we can only speculate about this strange planet on the very edge of our solar system.

The copyright of the article Our 'Spooky' Solar System in The Solar System is owned by Danielle McClain. Permission to republish Our 'Spooky' Solar System in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.