The "jelly donut" rock recently discovered by NASA's Opportunity Mars rover is now the subject of a lawsuit filed against the U.S. space agency.
According to Popular Science, a scientist named Rhawn Joseph has filed a lawsuit against NASA accusing them of covering up a sign of alien life. He believes NASA prematurely identified is as a rock on purpose.
Joseph is asking that NASA further investigate the rock, which inexplicably showed up in front of the rover. Of course, there are reasonable explanations for how it got there, like a nearby impact flung it in front of the rover, or Opportunity unearthed it with its wheel.
NASA identified the object as a rock with rare properties, but a rock nonetheless.
CLICK HERE to read the lawsuit in full.
Joseph is not buying it. His lawsuit is directed at NASA and its administrator Charles Bolden. He is asking that NASA "perform a public, scientific, and statutory duty which is to closely photograph and thoroughly scientifically examine and investigate a putative biological organism."
Joseph is involved with the Journal of Cosmology and has authored books and articles on topics like the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and alien life. Joseph, the "Petitioner," argued that the rock was actually there the whole time and grew rapidly.
"When examined by Petitioner the same structure in miniature was clearly visible upon magnification and appears to have just germinated from spores," the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, NASA's transgressions are as follows:
"The refusal to take close up photos from various angles, the refusal to take microscopicimages of the specimen, the refusal to release high resolution photos, is inexplicable, recklessly negligent, and bizarre."
Joseph said in the suit that he has contacted NASA employees with his evidence, but the agency has not commented publicly on the matter.
Here is NASA's explanation of the mysterious "jelly donut" rock:
"A subsequent chemical analysis showed the rock has twice the abundance of manganese than any other rock yet examined - an unexpected clue that doesn't yet fit into humanity's understanding of the Martian geologic history."