Why a ‘three-sided pyramid’ on Mars is going viral; know what experts say |

PC: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The excitement surrounding the Red Planet (Mars) has reached new levels with the emergence of a three-sided pyramid on the planet, going viral throughout social media and news agencies around the world. The giant pyramid is located in the western area of Candor Chasma (a giant canyon in the Valles Marineris system), and has an incredible geometric symmetry that has once again raised the arguments of possible ancient extraterrestrial civilisations. According to data from NASA’s official Photojournal and high-resolution datasets collected from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, this pyramid is actually considered an ‘Interior Layered Deposit’ (ILD) or geomorphic knob, and not a human construction, according to NASA. The structure was originally identified in 2001 by Keith Laney, who used Mars Global Surveyor data to determine its ILD. However, the ‘megastructure’ received another push in March 2026 when filmmaker Brian Dobbs shared a processed 3-D satellite imagery that showcased its hard edges and size similar to the Great Pyramid of Giza, though official data shows it is nearly 3 kilometres wide- over ten times larger than the Great PyramidPeople all over have claimed that these characteristics could lead to evidence of their artificial origin; however, the USGS has produced geological maps of the area titled ‘Geomorphic knobs of Candor Chasma, Mars: New Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data and comparisons to terrestrial analogs’, which support that the formation is naturally occurring due to billions of years of wind and tectonic fracture erosion.

The geometry of Candor Chasma: Why a ‘three-sided pyramid’ on Mars is going viral

The current wave of hype around the Red Planet is focused specifically on a geographic location in the Western Candor Chasma. This feature is roughly 3 kilometres wide and has garnered worldwide interest based on its sharply converging ridges, which resemble the precise architectural design of the Great Pyramid located in Giza, Egypt.NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) archives provide evidence that this ‘anomaly’ first appeared in 2001. Since then, this has become one of the most commonly cited pieces of evidence for those searching for signs of an early Martian civilisation. The viral approach to the story can be primarily attributed to its symmetrical appearance across a number of different satellites, in various missions spanning over 20 years.

Analysing the ‘Interior Layered Deposits’ (ILD)

While the visual evidence is impressive, according to the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) team at the University of Arizona, this ‘pyramid’ is considered by scientists as an example of an Interior Layered Deposit (ILD); which are large masses of isolated hills, also known as massifs, that have formed from sediments that were deposited from melting permafrost into the canyon floor.These sediments are a mixture of hydrated sulfates (such as gypsum) and iron oxides, which, as a result of their chemical and physical characteristics, create solid resistant layers of sediment. When these layers of sediment are eroded by the thin Martian atmosphere, they create sharp, angled edges instead of rounded hills.

The USGS verdict: Natural geomorphic knobs vs. artificiality

Researchers examine the area around the structure to see whether it is an artificial structure. The study published in the journal, which was led by USGS researchers, mentions that this pyramid is one of many ‘Type 3 Geomorphic Knobs’ within the Valles Marineris system.Eolian sculpting is a process by which dominant Martian winds act as natural sandblasters, eroding rock and creating three-sided rocks or ‘Dreikanters’, according to the USGS.The pyramid’s faces are aligned with the principal Candor Chasma rift fault lines, strongly suggesting that the shape of the pyramid has been influenced by natural weaknesses in the Martian crust.