The idea that an ancient civilization on Mars was destroyed by a nuclear attack from another alien species may sound like the plot of a science fiction novel. However, Harvard scientist Dr. John Brandenburg argues that this event may have actually occurred.
According to his theory, the ancient inhabitants of Mars, known as the Cydonians and Utopians, were wiped out by a nuclear attack, and the traces of this genocide are still visible on Mars today.
Dr. Brandenburg first suggested in 2011 that the red color of Mars could be due to a natural thermonuclear explosion, stating that the chemical elements on the surface of the "Red Planet" match those found around nuclear test fields on Earth.
The Xenon-129 Isotope
Photo: Unsplash
This theory has sparked intense reactions, with many scientists arguing that there is no credible physical evidence—such as craters or remnants—that indicate a man-made or sudden nuclear explosion.
Nevertheless, Dr. Brandenburg's theory resurfaced in the public eye with support from philosopher and science fiction author Jason Reza Jorjani.
Jorjani mentioned Brandenburg's research in Danny Jones' podcast, emphasizing that the findings present "disturbing evidence" for the existence of life on Mars.
"Every planet has a certain amount of isotopes of different materials on it, and the isotopic ratio of Xenon-129 is consistent throughout our solar system, except on Mars," Jorjani explained.
Dr. Brandenburg’s research focuses on the "high concentration" of Xenon-129 in Mars' atmosphere, as well as the presence of uranium and thorium on its surface.
Xenon-129 is a stable, non-radioactive gas and is one of the natural forms of the element xenon, which exists in small amounts in Earth's atmosphere. While it is naturally occurring, Xenon-129 is also released during nuclear fusion.
Structures in Mars’ Cydonia Region
NASA has detected higher-than-expected levels of Xenon-129 in the Cydonia region of Mars.
This area, located in the northern hemisphere of the planet, is famous for its "human-like megalithic structures," according to Jorjani. Conspiracy theorists claim that these structures include a face-like formation and giant pyramids.
NASA scientists argue that these formations are optical illusions caused by shadows and surface morphology.
However, Brandenburg believes these points are remnants of nuclear explosions on the planet’s surface.
"When a thermonuclear bomb detonates, it leaves a trace of Xenon-129 in the area, which is not normal," Jorjani said, adding that Dr. Brandenburg’s findings provide "disturbing evidence" for life on Mars.
"According to Dr. Brandenburg, this is a very distinctive 'signature.' It is irrefutable and directly tied to the detonation of nuclear weapons."
Brandenburg also claims that Mars once had a climate similar to Earth's, with animals and plants, and that any intelligent life would have been as advanced as the ancient Egyptians on Earth.
The CIA and Joe McMonagle’s Extrasensory Perception
Jorjani further noted that Brandenburg’s findings align with a CIA report describing an ancient civilization on Mars, whose inhabitants disappeared because the planet was destroyed.
However, the CIA has never confirmed the existence of such a civilization on Mars.
"When you place the CIA data next to Brandenburg's theory, this nuclear event may have occurred around 100 million years ago," Jorjani said.
"In 1984, physicist Joe McMonagle was tasked with remote viewing Mars. This was part of a CIA operation conducted at the Monroe Institute. He worked under contract for the CIA at the Institute."
The secret program, according to the Daily Mail, was conducted at Fort Meade, Maryland, hiring men and women who claimed to have extrasensory perception (ESP) to assist in uncovering military and domestic intelligence secrets.
Toward the end of the program, the document "Mars Exploration May 22, 1984" was published, declassified in 2017, and has resurfaced online.
McMonagle was only given coordinates as a target and used his mind to see what was there. "When McMonagle conducted this remote viewing session, he described being at the center of the ruins of a megalithic city with giant pyramids," Jorjani said.
"He said they looked like they were three times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza."
McMonagle shared his experience last month on the "Alchemy" podcast, saying, "I started to see images of people trapped in a place where the atmosphere was turning bad. It was obvious these people were dying for some reason, but they were people. They were just twice our size."
McMonagle, according to his account, secured negative photographs of Mars' landscape, showing a pyramid-shaped structure on the edge of a massive crater, just as he had seen it during the CIA experiment.
He also found images of a human bone, which he claimed was located in the Martian landscape.