A photo circulated online in early 2026, that claimed to authentically show a blue sunset on Mars.

The earliest version of the image that Snopes could find came from a Facebook page called Echoes of Unbound Curiosity. That page shared the image on Feb. 5, 2026, with the caption:

There have been thousands of generations of humans, and you are alive to witness the first photo of a Sunset on another World.

This is a real photo of the sunset on Mars.

Postings of the image on X, Instagram  and Reddit got thousands of views, though some social media users speculated about the image’s authenticity.

According to Gemini (archived), Google’s generative artificial intelligence model, the Feb. 5 image contained SynthID, a digital watermark that Google adds to content created or generated with its artificial intelligence tools. The image did not appear in a NASA collection of authentic sunrise and sunset photos from Mars or in the agency’s wider image gallery.

A NASA spokesperson called the image a “fan-made” work:

Space enthusiasts and other image processors are often excited about raw imagery downlinked from NASA spacecraft. Sometimes it is used and altered to create fan-made works shared online. This particular product is one of those examples.

As per the above statement, we find the image to be fake.

NASA and the China National Space Administration are the only two space agencies that have landed rovers on the surface of Mars that operated long enough to send back quality images. (The since-disbanded Soviet Union also successfully landed a rover on Mars in 1971 but lost contact with it after 110 seconds.)

The image did not appear among releases by the CNSA from its Zhurong rover.

At the time of this writing, NASA has two rovers on the surface of Mars — Perseverance and Curiosity. Both are looking for signs of life on the Red Planet. The rovers send back images from Mars that NASA publishes on its website.

The fake image may have been inspired by an authentic photo from NASA’s Pathfinder lander taken in 2005. The authentic photo showed the red, rocky surface of Mars and a blueish sun setting on the horizon — the same basic elements that appeared in the fake image.

(NASA/JPL/University of Arizona, accessed via images.nasa.gov)

Sunsets on Mars appear blue because dust in the Martian sky allows blue light to filter through more readily at twilight, according to NASA.

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The archaeological site of Sanxingdui in southwest China’s Sichuan province has yielded remarkable discoveries, including insights recently revealed by Chinese researchers about how the inhabitants forged an axelike tool from a meteorite.

Artefact was made of a particular blend of metal that would have been extremely difficult for the ancient people to create on Earth.

While meteorite artefacts are not entirely unheard of – China boasts 13 known meteorite objects – this discovery underscores that the people of Sanxingdui were part of a distinct regional culture, separate from their contemporaries further north.

“The presence of meteoritic iron at Sanxingdui further highlights the distinctive metallurgical practices in Southwest China, in contrast to contemporaneous practices in the Central Plains,” wrote the authors in a study published in Archaeological Research in Asia.

A preview of the new special exhibition, “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan,” at the Hong Kong Palace Museum in West Kowloon in September 2023

This axelike tool stands as the oldest meteoritic object discovered in Bronze Age southwest China, “reshaping our understanding of early iron use and cross-regional technologies.” Additionally, it represents the largest meteorite artefact found in China to date.

While researchers did not provide a specific dating for the axe, which was in a particularly fragile condition, the Sanxingdui culture is dated to around 1700–1050 BC.

The tool consists of a unique metal blend – 90 per cent iron and 7.41 per cent nickel – that would have been nearly impossible to replicate, given the limited evidence for such advanced technology during that era in China.

Diverging from other Chinese artefacts, the Sanxingdui tool was not combined with bronze, indicating it was forged directly from the meteorite with minimal alteration.

The high nickel content is a common hallmark of meteorites and has consistently indicated that an ancient object originated from outer space.

Three pieces of meteoric iron artefacts from China, including those from Sanxingdui, have been unearthed

Furthermore, the object exhibited crystalline structures formed by slow cooling over extended periods. Geological processes on Earth occur far too quickly to produce these structures, marking them as a typical feature of celestial bodies.

The unique combination of the metal blend and crystalline structure implies that the Sanxingdui people fashioned the tool from materials they discovered, rather than creating it through standard means.

Discovered in a ritual sacrifice pit, the tool suggests that the community may have recognised the exceptional nature of its materials and regarded it as a highly valuable object.

Moreover, the inherent hardness of iron would have made the axe an effective cutting and carving tool in a culture primarily utilising bronze.

An illustration depicts a green comet with a glowing trail flying through a starry sky, capturing the essence of astronomy and meteor phenomena

The duality of the axe’s spiritual and utilitarian purposes may have coexisted, indicating its significance as a treasured item within the community.

This discovery implies that while Bronze Age cultures were not actively forging other metals, they had the capability to shape objects beyond bronze. It further highlights the remarkable advancement of the Sanxingdui culture for its time.

Meteorite artefacts possess a vibrant historical significance in archaeology, with the most notable example being a dagger gifted to Ancient Egypt’s King Tutankhamen (r. 1336–1327 BC). Archaeologists believe this knife was a gift from King Tut’s grandfather around 1300 BC.

In late 2024, archaeologists unearthed two meteoric objects among numerous gold artefacts in Spain, known as the “Treasure of Villena.”

The discovery of the Sanxingdui meteorite tool came just weeks after archaeologists announced that they believed they had solved the mystery regarding the origin of 3,000-year-old red gemstone beads found in the ancient city.

These beads, identified as carnelian, considered by most as the earliest example of the use of iron, were highly valued in Middle Eastern and Indus Valley cultures. Archaeologists speculate they arrived from the north, suggesting that the Sanxingdui people established trade routes with cultures on the Loess Plateau to the southeast of the Gobi Desert.

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X users shared a video on April 3, 2026, allegedly showing Iranian officials taking a U.S. Air Force pilot from a downed fighter jet into custody. The brief clip — which takes place in a large field — features a person training a gun on another person putting his or her hands in the air.

The claim: A video authentically shows a U.S. Air Force pilot of a downed fighter jet being taken into custody in Iran on April 3, 2026.

The posts read, “The American pilot is in the custody of the Sons of Haidar al-Karrar.” The posts did not further describe who or what “the Sons of Haidar al-Karrar” referenced.

In short, the posts miscaptioned the video, meaning users shared a genuine image or video with inaccurate descriptions.

The video — while real and displaying no signs of artificial intelligence — first appeared online many months before the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. The clip did not show one of the pilots of a reported downed American aircraft in Iran.

BBC Verify senior journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh reported on X, “The claim that this video shows a US pilot being captured by Iranians after the downing of an F-15 fighter jet is false.”

The claim circulated after The Associated Press, Reuters and other news media outlets reported the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran on April 3. One of the two aircraft’s crew members was rescued, with searches still underway for the remaining pilot, per reports.

A reverse image search located posts containing longer versions of the same video. Those posts — including a May 9, 2025, Facebook post — mentioned ongoing conflicts between India and Pakistan.

The India-based fact-checking website BOOM Bangladesh later reported the clip showed a paraglider from Bangladesh named Riyad who accidentally landed at a closed airport in Pakistan. The Bengali-language article, when translated to English, read as follows:

We also contacted the person seen in the video who identified himself as Riyad. Riyad told BOOM Bangladesh that he is a Bangladeshi citizen and is currently in Pakistan to take up paragliding training. Narrating the events of the video, Riyad said that during his regular training in Chitral, local pilots informed him that the Chitral airport was closed. Therefore, he planned to land near the airport, which has permission.

“While preparing for landing, I saw a grassy field with cows grazing, which I thought was safe for landing. But as I descended, I noticed the perimeter of the airport. Since paragliding is a non-motorized sport, there is no possibility of changing course or altitude once the landing begins.”

Riyad also said that after landing, airport security guards initially detained him, but later checked his documents and released him.

We didn’t independently verify the details BOOM Bangladesh published.

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