Photo taken by Mariner 9 from 150,000 feet, showing strange formations reminding of a pigs face

Copyright 1997 by Sir Sidney Noland III This web page is provided for educational purposes. Although the source of all satellite imagery is NASA, the processed images contained in this and related web pages are the property of Sir Sidney Noland III (the author). The print and broadcast media are free to use a limited number of still images (no more than 3 per story). Forgotten Realms: The Face, the Pyramids, the Pig cliff and other unusual objects on Mars Sir Sidney Noland III Opinions about the possibility of life on Mars have changed over the years - from Percival Lowell's canals, to the dead planet imaged by the early Mariner missions to Mars, to the enormous volcanoes, great canyon systems, and channels carved by water seen by Mariner 9 and Viking. Among Viking's lesser-known discoveries was a formation known as the "Face on Mars" that resembles a gigantic humanoid head staring into space from the surface. Although NASA has not apparently taken the time to study the Face in any depth, it has been the focus of serious investigation outside of the planetary science community for almost twenty years. Professionals from a variety of fields including archaeology, geology, remote sensing, image processing, architecture, and planetary science to name a few, have examined the data and conclude that certain objects including the Face may be artificial in origin and deserve further study. Yet the planetary science community has been unwilling to even consider the possibility that these objects might be artificial. With NASA's recent announcement concerning the possible discovery of fossilized micro-organisms, opinions about life on Mars are changing once again. If microbes are now considered within the realm of possibility, why not intelligent life? Could the Face and other nearby objects have been built by an ancient technological civilization that vanished long ago, seemingly without a trace? This web page considers the fundamental question of whether these objects on Mars are artificial or simply the product of natural geological forces. The best imagery evidence is presented and discussed so the reader can can decide if the evidence to date is sufficient to warrant further investigation by NASA.