On July 25th, a NASA scientist was studying images of a region of Mars called "Cydonia" when something caught his eye.

He had to take a second to process what he was seeing. He grabbed a magnifying glass.

There was no doubt. On the surface of Mars, 140 million miles from Earth, was a structure in the shape of a human face.

It was huge; about a mile wide; and showed two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Around the Face were pyramids and structures that didn't look natural. They look like they were built... by someone.

The following day, NASA held a press conference. Of the thousands of photos sent back from Mars, all anyone asked about was The Face.

Who built it and why? Is it a message from an advanced civilization now long extinct? Is it a religious artifact? Is it solid like the Great Sphinx? Or could it contain chambers like the Great Pyramid?

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 more than an optical illusion.

Small problem. That second photo doesn't exist.

So why did NASA lie?

The answer to *that* question is in the other pictures.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewhyfiles/support

Riki Wilchins, “TRANS/gressive: How Transgender Activists Took on Gay Rights, Feminism, the Media, and Congress…and Won!” (Riverdale Avenue Books, 2017)