'Is there cheese on the moon?': Internet erupts after GOP rep asks NASA if Mars had ancient civilizations

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) on Tuesday raised eyebrows when he asked a panel of space experts if an advanced civilization ever lived on Mars.

The panel—which included the project scientist for NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission, Ken Farley—was testifying in a public hearing before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology when Rohrabacher asked the question.

“You have indicated that Mars had, was totally different thousands of years ago,” the GOP Congressman began. “Is it possible that there was a civilization on Mars thousands of years ago?”

"So, the evidence is that Mars was different billions of years ago, not thousands of years ago,” Farley replied. “And there is no evidence I'm aware of that—“

"Would you rule that out?" Rohrabacher pressed.

"I would say that is extremely unlikely," Farley replied.

That Rohrabacher, an avid climate change denier, was so interested in the possible existence of an intelligent civilization on another planet lit up the Internet Tuesday night.

Read some of the best responses below, via Twitter: