On May 24, 2001, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft was circling around Mars while taking photos of possible landing sites. As it was taking photos, it noticed a dome that resembled a human face. The face was nearly two miles in diameter and it appearded to be staring back at the cameras from an area of the Red Planet called Cydonia. Some say that this is evidence of life on Mars.

In paragraph 2, they tell us that the sensation was short lived. It also says that scientists assumed it was just another Martian Mesa because it was so common around Cydonia. This one had shadows that made is look like an Egyptian Pharaoh. They should not have came to the conclusion that there is life on mars only becuase they saw shadows that resembled a humans facial structure.

In paragraph 7, it states that on April 5, 1998,

Michael Malin and his Mars Orbiter Camera team took photos that would come out 10 times sharper than the original Viking photos. The photos revealed a natural landform. There was no alien monument. If there really was an alien monument to begin with, it surely would have appeared the second time around, especially because they used a much better camera.

In paragraph 12, it says that the picture actually shows a Martian equivalent to a butte or mesa, which is a landform that is common around the American West. Garvin states that it reminds him of Middle Butte in the Snake River Plain of Idaho. That is a lava dome that is about the same height as the Face on Mars.

The Face on Mars is most likely a natural landform. Martian mesas are common around the Cydonia area so it could have easily been mistaken for what appeared to be a human face. They claim to have seen evidence of life based on shadows that appeared on a natural landform. This seems very unrealistic. Michael Malin and his Orbiter Camera team took photos using a camera that would leave pictures 10 times sharper than the orginal Viking pictures, so if anything was actually on Mars, we surely would have seen it.