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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 Photograph ed 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. INTERPRETATIONS
Most interpretations of the photo suggest that the feature is a natural landform, one of many Mesa s 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. Another 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 '' 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. ORIGINAL CAPTION 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 Kilometer s (one Mile ) across, with the sun angle at approximately 20 Degree s. The speckled appearance of the image is due to Bit Error s, 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. {Link without Title} FICTION
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