An out-of-this-world rock formation has internet users convinced aliens have been to Earth.

The Al Naslaa sandstone block in Saudi Arabia has an incredible split half-way down the middle.

Geologists suspect it's the result of freeze-thaw weathering, a textbook process whereby water trickles into a crack, freezes and splits the rock in two.

However others aren't persuaded, Metro reported.

Redditors on popular forum "Interesting as f***" suspect the rock's perfect symmetry is the result of an alien laser beam cutting it in half.

User El_Hombre_Siniestro wrote: "I’m not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens."

Mrkim420 agreed, adding "Definitely aliens".

The massive Reddit community has more than 8.5 million members sharing bizarre and provocative pics and historical facts.

Another user suspected Al Naslaa was made when aliens used "a super laser pointer on some random planet their species found and accidentally cut a rock in half".

But the truth behind the formation's incredible appearance may be less interesting, a geologist said.

University of Bristol researcher Cherry Lewis told MailOnline it was more likely in fact the result of freeze-thaw weathering.

• 

  England's red travel list slashed as 47 nations removed including Bali and Thailand

She explained: "[The crack] could have formed due to a process called freeze-thaw weathering, which occurs when water gets into a small crack in the rock.

"As temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands which causes the crack to widen and lengthen.

"As the ice melts, water makes its way deeper and deeper into the crack.

"The process repeats itself over thousands, or even millions, of years until the rock eventually splits.

"This process, coupled with wind erosion – which, in a desert environment, is like sandblasting – could also explain why the boulder is standing on its own like that."

For more stories from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here

Ms Jones' sound explanation won't have convinced everyone, though.

The crack does seem just a bit too perfect to be true, some commented.

David Maginnis commented: "Obviously a tetrodecimal laser from a galactic shuttle landing craft".

Either way, if it was an alien plot to confuse humans, they've done a good job.

Source: Read Full Article