The Face on Mars may look like a alien artifact, but in reality, it is just another natural landform. NASA's Viking 1 found a "human face" twenty-five years ago on Mars. It was said to be nearly two miles from end to end. Most scientists just thought it was another common Martian mesa. A few days later, NASA put out the image for the world to see. The authors said it was a huge rock formation that resembled a human head. They also mentioned that the shadows gave the illusion of eyes, a nose, and a mouth. It was believed to be just another rock.

Since the story, the "Face on Mars" starred in films, books, magazines, and radio talk shows. Many people thought the Face is evidence of life on Mars, but would soon realize it was just a rock formation. Even a few scientists actually believed that the Face was an alien artifact. After these rumors, photographing Mars became a priority. On April 5, 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor flew over Cydonia and snapped ten pictures. Many anxious people waited for an image to appear on a JPL web site. The image did not reveal a alien monument, but a natual landform.

On April 8, 2001, the Mars Global Surveyor was taken out for another look at the Face. The picture shows a buttle or mesa; which are landforms common around the American West. Although the Face was believed to be some type of alien artifact, after three times of exploring, it was still proven to be just another natural landform.