The Curiosity rover, dispatched by NASA to explore Mars’ Gale Crater, has stumbled upon a peculiar rock formation on the red planet.

Highlighted in a recent tweet by the SETI Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on extraterrestrial life research, the image has been dubbed “rock cool.”

According to experts, the spikes likely represent cemented fillings of ancient fractures in sedimentary rock, a phenomenon observed in certain terrestrial formations such as Hoodoos, Earth Pyramids, and Tent Rocks.

NASA’s keen interest in these discoveries aims to shed light on Gale Crater’s history. The photo capturing the “spikes” was taken by Curiosity’s camera on May 15, as reported by Vice News. Coincidentally, just a week before this finding, the rover spotted an unusual structure resembling a neatly hewn doorway nestled amidst the rocks.

This particular image was captured over a geological feature known as the Greenheugh Pediment on May 7 and shared on Reddit by NASA.

Media outlets like The Independent suggest that this strange rock formation could be a natural stress fracture caused by seismic activity.