A Pyramid in Cydonia

Original Face on Mars photo taken by NASA’s Viking 1 orbiter, in grey scale, on July 25, 1976. Image shows a remnant massif located in the Cydonia region. On July 31, 1976, a NASA press release said the formation “resembles a human head”. However, NASA scientists had already correctly interpreted the image as an optical illusion caused by the illumination angle of the Sun, the formation’s surface morphology and the resulting shadows, giving the impression of eyes, nose and mouth. Photo © NASA/JPL.