The Face is a natural landform and not an alien monument. On May 24, 2001 NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft was circling the planet, taking pictures of possible landing sites of its sister ship Viking 2. Viking 2 had spotted the shadowy likeness of the human face. Then, an enormous head about two miles from end to end looked as staring back at the cameras from a region of the Red Planet, Cydonia.

Back at the Jet Propulsion Lab the face appeared on their monitors. But, we figures it was just another Matian mesa, around Cydonia, only this one had unusual shadows that looked like an Egyptian Pharaoh. Also, NASA showed the image for all to see, and the caption noted a "huge rock formation... which resembles a human head... formed by shadows giving the illusion of eyes, nose, and mouth." Authors thought it would be a good way to engage the public and attract attention to Mars. The answer is yes the "Face on Mars" became a pop icon.

But, few of us scientists believe the Face is an alien artifact. On April 5,1998, scientist, Michael Malin and his Mars Orbiter Camera team snapped a picture of the Face to prove there was no alien monument. When the Face image was finally posted, anxious web surfers saw that it was revealed as a natural landform and no alien monument at all. Everyone wasn't satisfied. Skeptics were saying that perhaps alien markings were hidden by haze.

On April 8, 2001, we drew clse enough for a second look. One scientist said, "If there were objects in this picture like airplanes on the ground or Egyptian-style pyramids or even small shacks, you could see what they were." The picture actually shows the Martian equivalent of a butte or mesa. A scientist, Gavin, once said " it reminds me most of Middle Butte in the Snake River Plain of Idaho, that's a lava dome that takes the form of an isolated mesa about the same height as the Face on Mars."

The Face is just a natural lanform and not alien monumument at all. I think this because we all have taken pictures and used evidence as to why the Face isn't an alien monument. I hope everyone agrees with me and all the other scientists because the proof that we've given is reasonable.