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 Martian Face Not Martian

       In 1976, Viking I was sent into space to learn more about Mars. It came back with photos of the surface, which helped scientists to learn more about Mars. It also, however, added to the controversy that life had or did exist on Mars. The picture in the middle of the controversy, from the Cydonia region of Mars, was of an object that closely resembled the human face. Nicknamed "the Face," it was found near another site, dubbed "the City," which contained artifacts that might support the existence of intelligent civilization.
       Researchers at NASA even noticed the remarkable similarity, but explained it an illusion using light and shadow. UFO believers thought otherwise, claiming conspiracy.
       NASA finally put an end to the controversy. In mid-April 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor approached the region again. NASA took this opportunity to retake pictures of the area. This time, the pictures came out differently.
       Using better technology, Surveyor can zero in on regions 10 times smaller than Viking, NASA was able to take another picture of "the Face" at a different angle with better lighting. Instead of a face, the image resembled a flat-topped hill, mesa.
       "It looks like a perfectly natural eroded object," according to Arden Albee, a scientist involved with Surveyor.
       UFO believers are claiming conspiracy again. They believe the picture's resolution has been reduced to show what NASA wants. Either way, UFO believers have won, getting NASA to admit that it researches UFO and extraterrestrial possibilities.