The Face that Launched a Rover
Helen may have launched a thousand ships, but it was no trip to Mars. The
Cydonian Anomalies have fascinated us since the Viking Probe first relayed
the image to us in 1976. This anomaly added to our curiosity of the red
planet and left us asking if Mars could sustain life. The "Face" measures
2.5K and has sparked several heated debates about its origin In 1976 the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory dismissed the anomaly as a trick of light. Many
since then have speculated that the structure was built thousands of years
ago, by an ancient ocean, long extinct.
Gregory Molenaar and Vicent DiPietro, computer engineers at the Goddard
Space Flight Center, came across a Viking probe frame 35A72 labeled "Head".
The engineers became intrigued and discovered the pyramid-like structure
near the "Face." They wanted to learn more and developed a computer
processing method (SPIT- starburst pixel interleave technique) which they
used to enhance the images.
The pair tested their program on Earth, and then seeking verification took their Mars findings to the "experts". They were ignored. Yet, the team set up their own research institution (Mars Research). Mars research then enlisted the help of physicist Dr. John Brandenburg.
In the early 1980's NASA consultant and archaeoastronomist, Richard Hoagland. (responsible for interstellar plaques aboard Pioneer 10-11). Joined the search for answers on the authenticity of the Cydonian Anomalies. Hoagland discovered the "City" and calculated the Martian solstice every 300,000 years.
Randolfo Pozos then wrote a book "The Face on Mars: Evidence for a Lost Civilization. "Pozos researched the technical research conducted on Viking image mosaics. He then in his book approached the question of life on Mars from a religious and philosophical stand point.
Dr. Mark Carlotto, former employee of a Boston based company that sometime worked for the government, examined the Viking imagery using a shape-from-shading method (1986-87). He disproved the "trick of light" and "shadow" theories. Dr. Carlotto alleged that the "Face" had teeth in its mouth and symmetrical lines across its forehead. Dr. Carlotto estimated the size of the face: 2.5km long, 2lm wide and 400m high. In 1991 he used a fractal analysis technique and published a book on his findings entitled: "The Martian Enigmas."
Artificial or not a Fascinating Mystery it is.
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