Face on Mars

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Image:Martian face mgs.jpg The Face on Mars is a large feature on the surface of the planet Mars located in the Cydonia region, thought by many to resemble a human face. It measures approximately 3 km long and 1.5 km across and lies some 10 degrees North of the Martian equator. It was first photographed on July 25, 1976 by the Viking 1 space probe orbiting the planet at the time. It was brought to the attention of the public in a NASA press release of the photo six days later.

1 Interpretations
2 Original caption
3 Fiction
4 See also
5 External links

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Interpretations

   {{Infobox Pseudoscience
   |name=Face on Mars
   |topics=* Astronomy Archaeology
   |claims=* The feature at Cydonia represents an ancient monument built by extraterrestial visitors to Mars
   |origyear=* 1987
   |origprop=* Richard Hoagland
   |currentprop=* Tom Van Flandern
   }}

Most interpretations of the photo suggest that the feature is a natural landform, one of many mesas that scatter Cydonia. In this view of things, the appearance of a face is given by a combination of the angle of the lighting (with the sun low on the Martian horizon at the time the photo was taken), the low resolution of the photo tending to smooth out the irregularities of the surface, and the human brain's tendency to recognize familiar patterns, especially faces (pareidolia). Finally, a gap in the data sent back by Viking 1 created a black spot exactly where a nostril would be located on a human face. Many other such spots are visible in the photo.

Image:100 0618.JPGAnother interpretation of the photo is that it represents an artificial monument of some kind, and some have claimed that its existence is proof that intelligent extraterrestrials inhabited or visited Mars at some point in the distant past. The most notable advocate of this theory is Richard Hoagland, as seen in the Message of Cydonia. In his 1987 book The Monuments of Mars: A City on the Edge of Forever, Hoagland interpreted other nearby surface features as remnants of a ruined city and artificially constructed pyramids. The publication of this book has done much to encourage and popularize belief in the artificial nature of the face. Subsequently a further cultus has claimed that the face has leonine qualities, leading to a postulation that the extraterrestrials may be similarly visaged.

In 2000, an article in MetaResearch claimed to prove that the face is artificial. (T. Van Flandern, H. Crater, J. Erjavec, L. Fleming & H. Moore (2000))

The more scientifically mainstream interpretation is supported by later photographic evidence from the Mars Global Surveyor probe in 1998 and 2001 and the Mars Odyssey probe in 2002. Photographed under completely different lighting and at much higher resolution, the feature looks very little like a face, although conspiracy theorists claim that the images have been altered. It is interesting to note that various naturally occurring landmarks on Earth can also be interpreted as showing a face, and of course the "man in the Moon" consists of natural markings on our planet's natural satellite.

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Original caption

Image:Martian face viking.jpg The original caption for the photograph read as follows:

This picture is one of many taken in the northern latitudes of Mars by the Viking 1 Orbiter in search of a landing site for Viking 2.

The picture shows eroded mesa-like landforms. The huge rock formation in the center, which resembles a human head, is formed by shadows giving the illusion of eyes, nose and mouth. The feature is 1.5 kilometers (one mile) across, with the sun angle at approximately 20 degrees. The speckled appearance of the image is due to bit errors, emphasized by enlargement of the photo. The picture was taken on July 25 from a range of 1873 kilometers (1162 miles). Viking 2 will arrive in Mars orbit next Saturday (August 7) with a landing scheduled for early September. [1]

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Fiction

An episode of The X-Files features the face as part of a theory that Martians are sabotaging space probes sent to that planet.
The face is a critical plot element of the movie Mission to Mars.
The popular TV show Futurama portrays the face of Mars as the entrance to the center of the planet where the ancient Martians live. It is accompanied by the "Great Ass of Mars", located on the other side of the planet.
In an episode of Invader Zim, the face is a structure which transforms into a sort of driver's seat for the planet. The Martians had worked themselves to extinction converting their planet into a giant ship, simply "because it's cool." This "technology" was also used on Mercury, creating the "Butt on Mercury"
The song "Face In The Sand" by Iron Maiden from the album Dance Of Death is inspired by the face.
In the video game Doom 3, the face on Mars appears on various poster and adverts as a video game Easter egg.
In the video game Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988), the face is a temple of an ancient alien civilization and one of many spoofs of then-popular esoteric New Age and conspiracy theories.
In the video game Secret of Mana, There is a similar face hidden in the ocean as an easter egg. It serves no purpose other than to confuse the player.
In the video game Final Fantasy IV, the face appears on the moon.