Post by George J. Haas on Apr 27, 2014 8:50:30 GMT -5
Besides the original Face on Mars discovered in the Cydonia area in 1976, another face-like structure was observed in an early Viking 1 image (086A10) of the Utopia region by Dr. John Brandenburg.
Utopia Face 1976 (Viking 086A10)
Note: the extreme facial expression.
It would take over 30 years before NASA would revisit the area on Mars that include the Utopia Face.
In 2007 both the Mars Odyssey THEMIS and the MRO HiRISE CTX spacecrafts photographed the Utopia Face.
Utopia Face (THEMIS image V22286011) 2007
Notice the head-on camera angle (illuminated from the north/east) washing-out the forehead and shadowing the eyes while exposing a flat nose and large almond-shaped mouth feature.
Link to THEMIS image: static.mars.asu.edu/pds/browse/v222xx/V22286011.png.
Utopia Face (HiRISE MRO CTX image P04_002714_2144_XI_34N212W) 2007
Notice the oblique camera angle coming in from the left exposing the western side and distorting the rise of the cheek, while leaving the eastern side in shadow and foreshortened mouth feature which no longer has an almond-shape.
Link to MRO/CTX image: global-data.mars.asu.edu/ctx/img/P04_002714_2144_XI_34N212W
When compared to the original Viking image, there are obvious discrepancies between the facial features of the Utopia Face seen in the THEMIS and CTX image.
Not only is the lighting different in the new images, due to the time of day and orientation of the camera, but portions of the western side of the formations mouth parts appear to be missing.
GJH
Utopia Face 1976 (Viking 086A10)
Note: the extreme facial expression.
It would take over 30 years before NASA would revisit the area on Mars that include the Utopia Face.
In 2007 both the Mars Odyssey THEMIS and the MRO HiRISE CTX spacecrafts photographed the Utopia Face.
Utopia Face (THEMIS image V22286011) 2007
Notice the head-on camera angle (illuminated from the north/east) washing-out the forehead and shadowing the eyes while exposing a flat nose and large almond-shaped mouth feature.
Link to THEMIS image: static.mars.asu.edu/pds/browse/v222xx/V22286011.png.
Utopia Face (HiRISE MRO CTX image P04_002714_2144_XI_34N212W) 2007
Notice the oblique camera angle coming in from the left exposing the western side and distorting the rise of the cheek, while leaving the eastern side in shadow and foreshortened mouth feature which no longer has an almond-shape.
Link to MRO/CTX image: global-data.mars.asu.edu/ctx/img/P04_002714_2144_XI_34N212W
When compared to the original Viking image, there are obvious discrepancies between the facial features of the Utopia Face seen in the THEMIS and CTX image.
Not only is the lighting different in the new images, due to the time of day and orientation of the camera, but portions of the western side of the formations mouth parts appear to be missing.
GJH
