Skull Hill —  Mars

Skull Hill is a rock on Mars, the name that it was dubbed with, found in the ridge of a crater that is unlike the surrounding rock. In essence, the rock is puzzling — specifically how it got on the ridge.

NASA’s Mars Rover Perserverence took pictures on 11 April 2025, among which are certain pictures that caused a degree of uncertainty: a skull-shaped elevation on a slope where some astronomers say it doesn’t belong. (1)

This mysterious rock is thus called “Skull Hill” was discovered on 11 April 2025 by the rover Perseverance, while driving along a ridge called Witch Hazel Hill. (1) (Which itself is part of the Jezero Crater — a massive 28-mile-wide basin that scholars believe was once a lake. (1)

What makes this rock so interesting is that it is completely different from its surroundings, as if it was moved there by some force.

The surrounding landscape is dry and dusty rock, but Skull Hill is large, angular, dark, and porous. (1)

Many theories exist for how it area is to that location: erosion, an ancient cosmic event like a meteorite or ancient impact. It should be noted that it resembles rocks found strewn through Canada as a result of ancient glaciers.

Resources

1. Richards, Jack. NASA finds mysterious skull-shaped feature on Mars — where star-gazers say it doesn’t belong. April 19, 2025. New York Post. <https://nypost.com/2025/04/19/science/nasa-finds-mysterious-skull-shaped-feature-on-mars-where-star-gazers-say-it-doesnt-belong/> Accessed 17 Aug 2025.