Conspiracy theorists have suggested a photo captured by Nasa’s Mars Curiosity rover could indicate an alien presence on the surface.

The image taken on the Red Planet on April 3 seems to show a bright light shining on the horizon.

Some people subsequently claimed the glimmer was from something or someone on the ground.

Is the light in the distance alien life? (Picture: Nasa)

‘This could indicate there there is intelligent life below the ground and uses light as we do,’ wrote UFO Sightings Daily editor Scott C Waring. ‘This is not a glare from the sun, nor is it an artifact of the photo process.’

But this suggestion has been disputed by Doug Ellison, who works as an imaging expert for Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

He told NBC the light was probably a cosmic ray hit, which occurs when the surface is struck by energy particles.