Tom Van Flandern, Ph.D., was Chief Astronomer at the US Naval Observatory. He founded an organization called Meta Research.

There must be some very credentialed lurkers here who can comment on his presentation regarding Cydonia:

--- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgQs8qDX2Ms --- (go to 1:30 if you are impatient)

Here is their scientific analysis:

--- http://metaresearch.org/solar%20system/cydonia/proof_files/proof.asp ---

Of course unaccredited opinions are also welcome.

Still more commentary, and a plea for basic maturity from critics:

--- http://www.metaresearch.org/solar%20system/cydonia/2001_Face/Preliminary.asp ---

People like pictures. I think I'll post this one:

If someone was trying to make a face with some sort of symmetry you'd think maybe they'd want it to look a bit more face like and symmetrical. Lets also not forget that this article is now 10 years old. Also lets notice that this socalled scientist was trying to explain how a low resolution photo from 1976 was better than the hi resolution pic from 1997. I tried to follow the logic but found myself in a land full of Ogres, Unicorns, and some silly creatures called Thetans

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

If someone was trying to make a face with some sort of symmetry you'd think maybe they'd want it to look a bit more face like and symmetrical.

Recognition was the metric. There will never be perfect symmetry, especially after entropy takes its toll.

Lets also not forget that this article is now 10 years old.

Meh.

Also lets notice that this socalled scientist

He was the CHIEF ASTRONOMER of the US Naval Observatory!!

was trying to explain how a low resolution photo from 1976 was better than the hi resolution pic from 1997.

That's not at all what he did. The old data was used to establish the angle of the lighting, which was then used to process the new data without the use of a high gain filter, which was inappropriate to begin with as it muddles the data.

I tried to follow the logic but found myself in a land full of Ogres, Unicorns, and some silly creatures called Thetans

This behavior only helps his argument. (He is deceased by the way.)

This behavior only helps his argument. (He is deceased by the way.)

So this makes his or your point more valid. Just because one reaches a high level of authority doesn't mean that they can't be looking for unicorns when they see hoofprints. The biggest detractors mention again and again the lack of symmetry and its pretty clear by the hi res pic that the natural occurring sedminets have caused this face. BTW it's only a face if veiwed at precisely when the sun is at a distinct angle. This is a problem when announcing you are here. Why make a sign that is only useful at dawn but no other time. Heck Why not put a great big smiley face out there. Or better yet 4 lane highways. Or walls. Or anything that might be considered traces of a civilization. There is nothing on that planet that has so far been well surveyed that shows any organized lifeform lived there. Again, if you wish, I can point you down the road that contains the Ogres, Unicorns and Thetans. COnspiracy theories are generally relegated to wishful thinking, lack of understanding, and a willful suspension of logic/common sense

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope