UFO theorists claim Stonehenge-style rocks on Mars are no coincidence—evidence, they say, of ancient alien architects mirroring Earth’s sacred sites.
From floating spoons and coffins to crabs and pyramids, alien hunters are often reporting strange structures in images beamed back from the surface of Mars.
Now, the latest ‘discovery’ seen using high-resolution images of the Martian surface, a mysterious circle of stones have been spotted on top of a raised mound on the planet.
A stone circle that has been compared to Stonehenge has been spotted in images sent back by a spacecraft orbiting the red planet. Dubbed ‘Marshenge’, alien hunters have seized on the images but experts say it could be created by natural processes which cause rocks to be ‘sorted’ in freeze and thaw cycles of permafrost
The stone circle (pictured) was spotted on an apparently raised hummock in images of the Martian surface captured by the HiRise camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Stonehenge has both captivated and baffled experts for decades and its exact purpose is still unclear. There are many theories that surround it, including from some who believe it was built by aliens
‘The scorn of the sceptics have failed to erode such theories and with the discovery of Marshenge, it builds an even stronger case to suggest astronauts in the past visited our Solar System and had an enduring impact on human history.
‘At present it is a huge leap of the imagination to compare Marshenge with the likes of Stonehenge, for example, we do not know the scale of these objects or what they look like in any detail.
‘Up close they could prove to be random stones cast up by marsquakes – the equivalent of earthquakes – in its distant past.’
A wide range of familiar objects have been spotted in images sent back by spacecraft and rovers on Mars, including a spoon (pictured) apparently floating in mid air and other pieces of cutlery like a chopstick (inset)
Earlier this month, alien hunters say they spotted a mysterious ‘facehugger crab’ on Mars hiding in a cave
Stonehenge on Earth has long been ᴀssociated with supernatural folktales and stories that it had been built by aliens.
Little is known about what the site was actually used for when it was built in around 3,100BC.
Many experts believe it was used for religious ceremonies or to mark the summer solstice.
Others believe it served as a meeting point for the surrounding areas or even for prehistoric people to monitor the heavens.
Earlier this month archaeologists announced the discovery of another line of standing stones around a mile away from Stonehenge that dates back 4,500 years.
The buried stones were found along the south-eastern edge of what later became known as the Durrington Walls ‘superhenge’ – a circular earthworks a third of a mile across.
An unusual rock (left) spotted in Nasa’s archives of images sent back from Mars was claimed to have a striking resemblance to a fossilised iguana (right)
Conspiracy theorists can’t seem to get enough of the shadowy images sent by Nasa’s Mars Curiosity Rover. In one recent ‘discovery’, they claim to have spotted the Star Destroyer from Star Wars
The stone circle on Mars was spotted in images captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRise, camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
It is the latest in a number of ‘mysterious’ objects seen in images of the surface of Mars.
Recently these have included a coffin-shaped rock, another shaped like a Star Destroyer from the film Star Wars, a crab-like creature shaped like a facehugger from Alien and cutlery.
Nasa rarely comments on these claims but in August a one of its scientists spoke out on the topic to insist that the agency was not trying to hide evidence of alien life from the general public.,
Ashwin Vasavada, who works on the Mars Curiosity Rover mission, said: ‘There is no group that would be happier to see such a thing than the 500 scientists around the world who work on this Curiosty rover.
‘So far we haven’t seen anything that is so obvious that it would be similar to what these claims are.’
Instead he said the sightings were a form of pareidolia, a psychological response that causes the mind to see familiar objects in random places.
In his book Mars, a Warmer Wetter Planet, Jeffrey Kargel, a senior scientist at the department of hydrology at the University of Arizona, said stone circles could appear on Mars as a result of natural geological activity.
He said: ‘Hummocky patterned ground on Mars is probably closely related to permafrost ‘stone circles’ and other forms of sorted terrain on Earth.
‘Sorted stone circles and permafrost hummocks form in extreme polar environments where melting is minimal and this alone should caution us from drawing too definitive conclusions regarding Martian processes.’
Secret archives, unexplained recordings, and hidden government files have fascinated the public for decades. Among these stories is an alleged 1985 Soviet Union archive tape that has circulated through UFO communities for many years. Supporters claim the recording represents a rare glimpse into classified investigations connected to unidentified phenomena, while skeptics argue that there is no verified evidence proving the extraordinary claims associated with it. The debate surrounding the footage has helped keep it relevant long after it first appeared in public discussions.
The historical setting of the story is important. During the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the United States invested heavily in military research, intelligence gathering, and aerospace technology. This atmosphere of secrecy created fertile ground for rumors, speculation, and stories involving hidden programs. As a result, many alleged documents, photographs, and recordings emerged over the years claiming to reveal information that governments supposedly kept from the public. The alleged 1985 tape became part of this larger cultural phenomenon.
Researchers who examine such footage often focus on questions of authenticity rather than the claims themselves. Investigators look for information about the recording’s origin, ownership history, technical characteristics, and any supporting documentation. Without verifiable records, independent confirmation, or reliable witnesses connected to the original source, it becomes difficult to determine whether a recording is genuine historical material, a misunderstood event, or a deliberate fabrication. This challenge is common across many famous UFO-related cases.
The significance of the alleged Soviet archive tape lies less in proving extraordinary claims and more in its influence on public imagination and UFO culture. It has inspired documentaries, online discussions, investigations, and debates about government transparency. The story reflects a broader human desire to explore unanswered questions about the universe, advanced technology, and the possibility of life beyond Earth. Even when evidence remains inconclusive, such cases continue to attract attention because they touch on some of humanity’s biggest mysteries.
Today, the alleged 1985 Soviet archive recording remains a controversial topic. No widely accepted evidence has conclusively verified the extraordinary interpretations often associated with it, yet interest persists among researchers, historians, and enthusiasts. Its legacy demonstrates how Cold War secrecy, public curiosity, and the search for unknown truths can combine to create stories that endure across generations and continue to spark discussion decades after they first emerged.
