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New face on Mars has scientists smilingThe Happy Face crater, known since the days of Viking 1, has reappeared in Mars Global Surveyor photos |
![]() Right: The Happy Face Crater. On the first day of the Mapping Phase of the Mars Global Surveyor mission--during the second week of March 1999--MOC was greeted with this view of "Happy Face Crater" (center right) smiling back at the camera from its location on the east side of Argyre Planitia. This crater is officially known as Galle Crater, and it is about 215 kilometers (134 miles) across. The picture was taken by the MOC's red and blue wide angle cameras. The bluish-white tone is caused by wintertime frost. Like its more famous cousin, the celebrated "face" in the Cydonia region, the Happy Face crater is a natural feature. A nearly circular wall outlines the head and an arc-shaped ridge conveys the appearance of a broad smile. |
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The smiling crater, officially known as crater Galle, was first photographed by the Viking 1 spacecraft. At the time it garnered relatively little attention compared to the "face on Mars" in Cydonia. Many who examined grainy Viking images of Cydonia thought they saw a Sphinx-like visage jutting up from the Martian landscape. Others thought they could spot pyramids and geometrically placed mounds. More recent photos from Mars Global Surveyor show that the "face" was a mere trick of light and shadow falling on an unexceptional Martian hill. |
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Mars Global Surveyor Web Site
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