May 19, 2012

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Seeing Things On Mars: A History of Martian Illusions

The "Face on Mars." Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum), Malin Space Science Systems

Humans have been seeing strange things on the surface of Mars for centuries. From the 1700s up through the present day, widespread fame has been available to anyone able to produce even the slightest bit of flimsy evidence that there’s Martian life.

The most recent example was this week’s supposed revelation that a secret Mars base, inhabited either by humans or Martians, can be seen in a photo of the Red Planet’s surface taken by an orbiting spacecraft.

But scientific rigor has always stepped in to prove that these objects are not really there. In this vast and lonely universe, are Earthlings just desperate for next-door neighbors to play with? Looking back over the long history of Martian illusions (and human delusions), it certainly seems so.

Read the rest of the story here.

Article by: Natalie Wolchover, Life’s Little Mysteries staff writer.

Jim H was born and raised in Naples, Italy. He created this website in December 2009 because of his fondness for historical mysteries. Since creating the website, Historic Mysteries has grown incredibly fast and over 200 mysteries are now documented on this site. Thank you for visiting and please bookmark this site.
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