Viral Mars Sky Video Fake, Confirm Scientists and Fact-Checkers
Experts say the widely shared clip uses edited Mars rover photos merged with Earth’s night sky to create a false, dramatic visual
A viral video claiming to show an enormous, ultra-bright view of Mars in the sky has taken social media by storm. Many viewers believed it was authentic footage from Mars—or a rare view of the Red Planet from Earth. But scientists and space experts have confirmed that the video is entirely fake.
According to experts, the clip is created by combining unrelated images. The “Mars” portion comes from real daylight photos captured by Mars missions, but the sky in the video is either a picture of Earth’s night sky or a digitally generated star field. These two elements are merged to produce a dramatic effect that does not reflect reality.
NASA rover missions such as Curiosity and Perseverance do send genuine visuals from Mars. However, the Martian sky is typically dusty, reddish, and hazy, with dim or barely visible stars due to its atmosphere. Mars also never appears massive or bright in the sky—neither from its own surface nor from Earth.
Fact-checkers note several visual inconsistencies in the viral video, including mismatched horizons, overlapping star patterns, and compressed planetary proportions—all clear signs of digital manipulation.
The viral clip is yet another example of edited space visuals made for entertainment or online attention. Experts urge viewers to rely on verified sources for real Mars imagery, which is fascinating on its own without dramatic digital alterations.
This article is authored by Akanksha Sudham, an intern at Deccan Chronicle
