![]() These spacecraft have included NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (1997–2006) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006–), and the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe (2003–). More than 20 years after the Viking 1 images were taken, a succession of spacecraft visited Mars and made new observations of the Cydonia region. DiPietro and Molenaar discovered the two misfiled images, Viking frames 035A72 and 070A13, while searching through NASA archives. This latter discovery was made independently by Vincent DiPietro and Gregory Molenaar, two computer engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, a second image, 070A13, also shows the "face", and was acquired 35 Viking orbits later at a different sun-angle from the 035A72 image. When the image was originally acquired, Viking chief scientist Gerry Soffen dismissed the "Face on Mars" in image 035A72 as a "trick of light and shadow". In one of the images taken by Viking 1 on July 25, 1976, a two-kilometre-long (1.2 mi) Cydonian mesa, situated at 40.75° north latitude and 9.46° west longitude, had the appearance of a humanoid face. Of the seven good images, the lighting and time at which two pairs of images were taken are so close as to reduce the number to five distinct images. The other eleven images have resolutions that are worse than 550 m/pixel (1800 ft/pixel) and are of limited use for studying surface features. Eighteen images of the Cydonia region were taken by the orbiters, of which seven have resolutions better than 250 m/pixel (820 ft/pixel). Ĭydonia was first imaged in detail by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 orbiters. Erosion doesnt make art.1976 Viking Orbiter image (left, image #070A13) compared with the 2001 Mars Global Surveyor image (right). Is it really possible for erosion to create a perfect image of a human head? I really dont think so. They altered the suggested 'Guardian of the Badlands' to become Badlands Guardian. Out of 50 names submitted, seven were suggested to the Cypress County Council. Originally discovered by Lynn Hickox (screen name "Supergranny" on Google Earth), suitable names were canvassed by CBC Radio One program As It Happens. Although the image appears to be a positive feature, it is actually a negative feature (a valley). The lighting is ideal for bringing out the apparent facial features. The feature is best viewed from Google Maps (satellite view). The apparent earphones are a road and an oil well, which has been in place only a few years, and will likely become invisible once the well falls into disuse and its superficial features are eroded. The 'head' may have been created during a short period of fast erosion immediately following intense rainfall. The arid badlands are typified by infrequent but intense rain-showers, sparse vegetation and soft sediments. The head is a drainage feature created through erosion of soft, clay-rich soil by the action of wind and water. Viewed from the air, the feature bears a strong resemblance to a human head wearing a full native American headdress. The Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature located at 50☀0′38.20″N, 110☀6′48.32″W near Medicine Hat in the south east corner of Alberta, Canada.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |