First it was “Bigfoot” seen in mid-stride dodging from behind a rock outcropping earlier this year… followed by speculation surrounding “Danish Mermaids” and finally giant “crudely drawn smiley faces” on the surface of Mars. Now, appearing in a NASA photograph dating back to late May of 2004, we see what looks almost like a “railroad plank” embedded in the red soil of the Martian landscape:

Also, here is a link to the entire panoramic view taken by the Mars rover Opportunity:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040524a/site_B115_navcam_180_cyp_L-B118R1_br.jpg

NASA tells us that “The rover acquired these frames during its 115th martian day, or sol, in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars, on May 21, 2004. The rover was near the edge of Endurance Crater, which dominates the right half of this view. The crater is about 130 meters (about 430 feet) in diameter.” Although what we’re seeing in the photo above is most likely a mere rock formation, is it bad to allow the imagination to wander from time to time? Hey, at least this latest apparition doesn’t have legs (or a fish tail, depending on who you ask).

For a complete list of oddities seen in Martian lander photos, follow the links below:

Bigfoot seen on Mars?

…or was it actually a “Danish Mermaid”

A Giant “Acid House” Smiley Face?

Thanks to Marvin Bishop for contributing to this report.