Space probes have captured images of intriguing spider-like formations on Mars. NASA has put forth a theory on what created these huge patterns.

NASA has recreated Mars' iconic "spiders" in a first-of-its-kind lab experiment, and you can watch it happen in this video.

Tests on Earth appear to confirm how the red planet's spider-shaped geologic formations are carved by carbon dioxide.

The Kieffer model, the researchers concluded, was an accurate representation of the processes that produce, not just the spiders, but other seasonal features that appear on the surface of Mars. In future research, the team hopes to fine-tune and adapt their experiments to understand these features and their formation in greater detail.

Scientists have recreated Martian conditions in a lab, offering fresh insights into Mars' strange spider-like formations. These features, sprawling across the Martian surface, have puzzled experts since they were first observed in 2003.

Mars is home to strange spider-shaped geologic formations known as the araneiform terrain, which are found mostly in the southern hemisphere.

Experts from the US space agency have, for the first time, managed to recreate the spider-like shapes that can be found on the red planet.

Mars has something on its surface that we won't find anywhere else in the Solar System. Unusual dark structures, which resemble spiders in appearance, are called araneiforms. They appear in the southern polar region of the planet in the spring.

Mars has something on its surface that cannot be found anywhere else in the solar system. Unusual dark structures, which resemble spiders in appearance, are called araneiforms. They appear in the southern polar region of the planet during spring.