January 23, 2008
Intriguing Mars
Images coming from Mars never fail to excite the imagination. We often forget that this is a strange planet, in so many ways, unlike our own. Recently images taken by Nasa’s Mars explorer Spirit some four years ago have become available. Initial inspections revealed nothing unusual, but amateur astronomers kept exploring and were excited to find this intriguing image. As one individual said, “These pictures are amazing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what appears to be a naked alien running around on Mars.”
Most observers believe, of course, that is a trick of photography, an optical illusion. Something natural appears “unnatural” when it is only a sliver of rock seen at an odd angle. That’s the likeliest explanation, and I tend to agree, but you can’t help but be amazed at what images do appear, whatever their origin.
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