Bear on Mars? Photo from NASA shows an optical illusion or 'ursine pareidolia'

• "The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter studies the history of water on Mars and observes small-scale features on the planet’s surface."

There's a bear on Mars − sort of.

A photo taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Dec. 12, 2022, resurfaced online recently as NASA's image of the day, and people could, well, bear-ly contain their excitement.

Is there a bear on planet Mars? No, but an interesting-looking hill and two craters make it seem so. Here's the photo and caption from NASA: " The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured this bit of ursine pareidolia on Dec. 12, 2022. While it resembles a bear, this is actually a hill on Mars with a peculiar shape. A V-shaped collapse structure makes the nose, two craters form the eyes, and a circular fracture pattern shapes the head. The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater. Launched on Aug. 12, 2015, the MRO studies the history of water on Mars and observes small-scale features on the planet’s surface."

On Jan. 31, 2023, NASA originally posted the "bear on Mars" photo online, explaining how someone might see the animal likeness in the picture: "This feature looks a bit like a bear's face. What is it really? There's a hill with a V-shaped collapse structure (the nose), two craters (the eyes), and a circular fracture pattern (the head). The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater. Maybe the nose is a volcanic or mud vent and the deposit could be lava or mud flows?"

For those wondering, "ursine pareidolia" means relating to or resembling a bear and the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness, according to Merriam-Webster online. Examples of "pareidolia" include a Rorschach inkblot test or another NASA legend, the "Face on Mars."

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon, tweets 'bear on Mars' photo

Buzz Aldrin, the second human to walk on the moon, tweeted about the Mars bear: "You know me, I like anything that has to do with Mars, so I thought I’d share this picture of the “Mars Bear” captured by @NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. I have to admit, it certainly does look like one! We’re learning more and more about Mars every day, and it’s all the more reason we need to “bear down” on our mission to put human beings on the Red Planet!"

Aldrin was part of the Apollo 11 crew that made history July 20, 1969 − mission commander Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, followed by Aldrin as astronaut Michael Collins flew the command module. The Apollo 11 crew launched into space via the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center. Decades later, Aldrin returned to the Space Coast and lives in Satellite Beach.

An advocate for space exploration and colonizing Mars, Aldrin shared his thoughts in a June 2020 guest editorial in FLORIDA TODAY: "The future is bright. America is back in the human space launch game. SpaceX successfully launched the 'Demo-2 Crew Dragon' rocket from Pad 39A at Cape Canaveral, taking two astronauts up to the International Space Station. There is much to be proud of in that launch that took off from the same launch pad that sent Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and myself to the moon. Now, looking forward, we need to get back to human space exploration.

"When the Apollo 11 crew launched on our Saturn 5 rocket and headed for the moon, Americans gathered to celebrate not just an American launch — we had sent astronauts up 19 times by then — but a launch aimed at landing men on the moon. That is what should come next: American human missions back to the moon, followed in short order by a long-promised and repeatedly re-engineered human mission to Mars," the opinion-editorial states.

Buzz Aldrin opinion column:After historic SpaceX launch, we must reach for Mars and the moon (again)

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.