109: Martian Mysteries: What NASA doesn't want you to know
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
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The History of the Red Planet
In 1877, Italian astronomer Giovanni Scaparelli made detailed observations of Mars. He saw strange markings on the surface that he called Canale. This led to speculation that the canals might have been built by an intelligent race of Martians. As technology improved and with the space race in full swing, getting close up photos of Mars became a priority. NASA scientist Toby Owen was one of the first researchers assigned to look for landing sites. When Owen found the face on image 35-A72, he was beyond excited. But then NASA threw cold water on the speculation. They said there was a second photograph of the area taken shortly after, and that photo showed that the face was nothing
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