Washington DC - Space enthusiasts rubbed their eyes in disbelief after NASA released a brand-new picture taken by their Perseverance Mars rover: is that a rainbow on the red planet?

On April 4, the rover captured a photo showing the dusty and rocky, cratered surface the distant planet is famous for.

But the otherwise ordinary picture also appeared to include a spectacular rainbow stretching across the Martian sky.

Since rain is impossible on the Red Planet, the image was an instant viral hit across all social media platforms.

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The burning question everyone asked: how did the rainbow come to be? Or, is it even a rainbow?

NASA's follow-up answer may have disappointed some space enthusiasts: "Many have asked: Is that a rainbow on Mars? No. Rainbows aren't possible here. Rainbows are created by light reflected off of round water droplets, but there isn't enough water here to condense, and it's too cold for liquid water in the atmosphere," NASA officials tweeted.

"This arc is a lens flare," the tweet continued.

Rainbows form when sunlight shines through raindrops in the atmosphere. However, a lens flare occurs when bright light hits the camera at a certain angle. This phenomenon will be familiar to anyone who owns a camera or a phone.

NASA's Perseverance rover touched down on the Red Planet's Jezero Crater on February 18, beginning a historic mission.

Currently, Perseverance is preparing to watch NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter take flight.