Page 60 - (DK) Eyewitness - Mars

Martian mysteries

Science is constantly probing the many unknowns of
Mars—the presence of liquid water, the question of ongoing
volcanism, and whether there was or is life on the planet.
Some centuries-old mysteries and myths have been
answered. There is no intelligent life as we know it, no
canals, no seas, no vegetation. Yet some images sent back by
satellites have shown puzzling objects on Mars: clusters of
pyramids, a sculptured dolphin, an ancient Egyptian queen,
and a head with a crown. A few writers insisted these images
showed artificial structures made by aliens long ago.
Improved high-resolution cameras, however, have revealed
that they are natural geological formations. It is the play of THE “FACE ON MARS”
There is an image among the buttes, knobs,
light and shadows on these formations that makes them and mesas near western Arabia Terra that is
appear like faces, animal forms, and man-made structures. like a human face. Photographed by Viking 1
in 1976, it was considered the possible
creation of intelligent beings. The “face”
became the subject of talk shows, books,
tabloids, and a movie. Then Mars Global
Surveyor took a closer look.

GLOBAL SURVEYOR’S VIEW
In 2001, Global Surveyor’s Mars Orbiter Camera
made three-dimensional stereo images of the
“face” from a distance of 280 miles (450 km).
This possibly “artificial creation” showed itself
as a natural mesa scarred by erosion. The
feature is 2.2 miles (3.6 km) long and
about .6 miles (1 km) wide. Sunlight
illuminates the scene from the left.