The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) of 1998 was
not scheduled to image Cydonia at all. But due to public outcry, MGS obtained
three new images of objects in Cydonia, one of which was of the Face, and
two of the area referred to as the City. Premature announcements by a few
scientists, accompanied by a very early, poorly processed picture of the
Face, were widely disseminated by the news media as final “proof” that
nothing on Mars can be considered possibly artificial (McDaniel Newsletter
Fig. 32 MGS (Carlotto)
This image was a great disappointment
for Mars anomaly researchers because of the extremely poor job done by
NASA in imaging the object as well as NASA’s persistent dismissiveness.
There is glare across the camera plate. The resolution is nowhere near
that available of the on-board Mars Orbital Camera (MOC) camera. Poor contrast
gave it a flattened appearance.
An aerial photograph is of most use when
the camera is above the object and light comes from the side. NASA imaged
the Face in exactly the opposite way. The eastern side is so severely truncated
by the camera perspective that it has defied even the best efforts at orthorectification;
it is simply not in picture (Crater, McDaniel 1998). The western side is
severely distorted by camera angle. Because of its poor quality, the picture
has come to be called the “footprint” or the “cat box”.
Because of the camera angle, most people
are unable to orthorectify mentally and can’t appreciate the symmetry.
Also, it is not generally understood that when looking more closely at
ancient ruins, a more rubble-like appearance is to be expected, as well
as the accumulation of tons of dirt and dust.
It is incomprehensible why NASA has presented
the MGS image the way it has. Conspiracy theorists maintain it is yet another
attempt to squelch Mars anomaly research. Crater asserts that “the question
is far from settled” and that “we deplore the lack of scientific integrity
shown by these individuals on a matter of such importance” (McDaniel/Crater
Nevertheless, contrary to what was written
in the popular media, the MGS image confirms many of the predictions made
by researches like Carlotto and DiPietro. All the elements of detail have
been verified as well as the more obvious symmetry of the entire structure.
The so-called “teardrop” turns out to be the tip of the nose, which appears
to have broken off like so many terrestrial sculptures.