Return To Cydonia
Credit:
Mars Global Surveyor Project,
NASA
Yesterday the Mars Global Surveyor project
released a new close-up image
of a portion of the Cydonia region on Mars.
This cropped and processed version
shows an area about 2 miles wide (the
full version covers a strip nearly 2.6 miles wide by 25 miles long)
and at full resolution has a pixel size of about 14 feet.
The rock formation visible is
the famous feature seen as
the "Face on Mars"
in 1976 Viking orbiter images.
Such complex looking
landforms in the Cydonia region are thought to be the result of
erosion and weathering of ancient crust by Martian winds, frost,
and possibly surface water.
Mars Global Surveyor
is scheduled to take other images of the Cydonia region
and the Mars Pathfinder and Viking landing sites this month.