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Did NASA Find Life on Mars?

Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2008 8:25 AM by Dan Fleschner
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A week ago, Al and I discussed the possibility that UFOs might exist. Today, we asked the question: Is there life on Mars?

Some think that in photos taken by NASA's Spirit Rover in late 2007, a human-like figure is visible sitting on the rocks of a crater.

The photos (including the one at left) have caused a stir among bloggers and in the British media (The Times of London suggested that maybe the figure is Osama Bin Laden hiding out).

There's another, um, more animated shot after the jump:

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Its a big hoax..and the yanks cant even do this one convincingly...its the same colour as the rocks.... it has no life like features...just a funny shaped rock... in fact the more I look at this picture the less it looks like a figure...

Annie, Liverpool, UK (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:13 PM)

It's Patty!  The figure is obviously a Sasquatch trying to escape man again.  "Jeesh, I came all the way to Mars just to get away and , dangit, they followed me!"

Jack Hillm Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:14 PM)

If it is real then why are they not all over the place? I think it is a rock.

Jeff Warwick RI (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:15 PM)

but one thing we should accept there should be life on any planet in any form, its 100% science,why it should not

siva,superbazaar,trichy (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:20 PM)

I think it is Osama bin Laden.  I mean really, what not a better place to hide.  Bush was right when he said we'd eventually get him.  The rovers have him surrounded.  

Tom, PA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:24 PM)

but one thing we should accept there should be life on any planet in any form, its 100% science,why it should not

revathi (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:24 PM)

so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......fact or fiction????????>.........cant believe ma eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jayashree, palghat, kerala (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:27 PM)

Leave it to the Bible thumpers to figure out a way to tie religion into this.

Paul Sherwood, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:29 PM)

I believe that our government has been hiding evidence pointing to life on other planets from us all along.  There is no way possible that this is the only planet with life on it.

Justin Nabors, Springtown, Texas (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:32 PM)

The shadows cast on the rocks and on the object are different. Since there's only ONE sun shining on Mars, this pic is a fake.

Anne David (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:41 PM)

Sup dudes ... i defo beleive tht ther iz other forms of life in space, if we exsist then other beings must. my sister finks tht the so called "bigfoot" could be an opening 2 a cave in the mountains of mars!!

Aaron Matthews, Stoke - On - Trent, Staffordshire (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:41 PM)

I heard playboy is thinking about using her in an out of this world women addition

JERRY,PATCHOGUE,NY (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:43 PM)

i would like to meet an alien. hope this picture is real and it comes true. also i hope that this picture is real and not an optical illussion. i think that marsians are living under the surface and this marsian might have come out or was caught in picture by SPIRIT while hiding like osama.

Liya, karnataka, india (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:44 PM)

my
moms on mars yay!

jaime Mission texas (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:44 PM)

The bigger question is: "Is there as much intelligent life on Earth as there is on Mars?" Barnum was right-there's a sucker born evry minute

A. Fisher (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:48 PM)

Ive seen this image before, its an image of a taliban soldier taken in Afghanistan early 2006, british soldier beleive the man was a scout!

John Doe, Seattle, Wash (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:51 PM)

How can anyone of reasonable intelligence push this non-sense?  It is just like this UFO phenomenon; everyone is making claims and very short on evidence.  This is not even enough evidence to get a search warrant.  Give it up!  When the extra-terrestrial comes to your house to borrow a cup of sugar, then you can believe.  Other than that, get a life.

Mark Filoso, Stafford, VA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:52 PM)

To add to Rebecca's comment : "I live in America and I don't think it's a joke.  How could a rock form like that naturally?  I'm very curious."

Neither do I, and anyone who does it most likely just scared, fear has a strange way of expressing itself. It is one of two things I believe.  From an artist's perspective it is either a doctored photo to distract us, diversion if you will, from some other truth, or we have a case of "good luck because we aren't going back to find out" which absolves NASA in either case.  If it was a doctored photo, why do that to the public? However if it was not doctored, and there was no controversy, we would already have an answer or the rover would have been turned back to take another series of photos to determine the outcome.
Do I think it was an actual alien, no.  It was either left behind or created to stand the test of time to leave behind a reminder or a message.  Let's not be foolish, do the math if you can, for all the expanse of our infinite universe is someone out there going to really tell me, or anyone for that matter, that when there are more stars, like our own, than there are grains of sand on every beach on our little planet, that there is no way that there is another satellite(planet or body) close enough yet far away enough from another star to incubate life of some sort?  I hope not.  Think about it, that would be a mathematical impossibility.  Who are we to judge that photo, NASA, I think not.  However do not think for a moment they would not hide something to keep our world and our people safe, that is there job.  Mass hysteria and panic is not there profession, discovering the truth is, even if we as a people are not ready for it.  Like minded people about this issue may be ready, but imagine if the whole world were to find out that life not only exists outside of what we know, but "they" are or were that close to us at some point in time, not good, not yet anyway.  I guess we will just have to wait.  
However nature could not have created that shape, it is too smooth and defined, that was either put there or remains there.  How or why, we won't know for quite some time, if ever, in our lifetimes.    

J. Mahoney (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:53 PM)

I really hope it is real...I agree with Angel Perez, Jr...just take another photo and if the image is not there then there must be life in Mars...that would be great.  NASA is so advance...surely they can re-take the photo or at least enhance it for a better view.

Ann, Texas (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:53 PM)

Why are you lot so naive as to where life can establish it self on the cosmos, our solar system forms part of a far bigger universe than many of you imagine. Do some research before you start making statement's and insinuations on what it is or what it my be! Get a telescope and start exploring we need to find another world to migrate to this one is getting very crowded and dangerous don't you think!
I leave tomorrow with out a doubt.  

Lee R Perth Australia (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:55 PM)

It's easy to mock or assume that it's a photoshop job. But why can't we investigate instead of sweeping it under the rug with humor and shrugged shoulders. It's not impossible for it to be an ancient statue. Drake's equation mathematically proves that there is and was intelligent life in the Universe!

James Bulmahn, Rochester, New York (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:57 PM)

once again there is no depth to your coverage.  no wonder America has such a short attention span.  a picture like this and all it gets is a short joke?  what moron writes for your show?

steve baxter, austin, texas (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:57 PM)

I feel that this is simply a picture of an interesting rock formation made by nature herself.  Think about it, humans have a habit of trying to find images in the things we see.  Saying that clouds look like sheep, a scar looks like a state, finding animals and people in the constillations and, that cliff in Vermont (if I remember correctly) that was shaped like a old man's face.  We are simply trying to satisfy our curosity for the unknown.  Now I'm not saying I don't believe in the possiblility for life on other planets, but the conditions on Mars are just not sutable for sustaining life.

Joann Shoup, Steubenville, Ohio (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:58 PM)

Wow, people...this is clearly a still image from a "video" that the rover shot...just find the video and simply look at a second before and after and you'll see clearly if it has moved as it appears to be human-like walking down hill with an arm out stretched to balance like we do.
I'm sure it didn't move otherwise NASA would have freaked long ago...

Dave, St Louis, MO (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:02 PM)

I knew it, there is SASQUATCH ON MARS!!!!!

Taz Manian (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:09 PM)

It's a shadow of the rock outcropping.  If you cover up the "arm" you can see that it's all just shadows of the rocky surface.  

Marvin T. Martian, Bala Cynwyd, PA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:12 PM)

I think its a statue from a previous civilization on mars.. and the wind has eroded it away. Or this is a stupid photoshop pic.

To shut up all the conspiracy, could NASA not send the rover BACK to that spot and take closer pics--DUH. come on NASA.

Jasmine Pirie, Canmore, Alberta (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:22 PM)

I't really looks like it could be a person, but I think we really need to back to that area to see I'f it has moved or not.  I would love there to be life on Mars

Debra M. Newport Tn. (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:22 PM)

My opinion? I believe that in our never-ending pursuit for what's out there, our eyes do deceive us. I am not above believing there is alien lifeforms in our universe.  If you take a closer look at the form, it is part of the rock "underneath".  I think if we continue our exploration at the rate we are going, we are bound to find better proof of life abroad in our universe. Again, this is only my opinion.

Pamela, Kentucky (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:23 PM)

"All of this evidence has been manipulated, covered up, and hidden by NASA, according to Hoagland. "

I agree! I've been getting messages about this from the voices right through my tinfoil hat!

Nick Danger (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:25 PM)

Well I certainly believe in this picture, but I need more evidence. Sure I believe that we're not the only ones out there. This does not look like a rock. If it is, then how was it shaped like that? Impossible. Now NASA could have been smarter and taken two pictures of the exact same place to see if that "thing" is still there in the second picture. But this picture could prove a lot. I really do believe that we're not the only ones out there.

Kevin Tran, Allen, Texas (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:25 PM)

Alien or rock formation? Does it really matter? Even if it were a live being of some sort, NASA funding has been cut to the point where we couldn't actually send a manned mission to find out even if we wanted to. At least not for 10 years or so and by then the thing will have moved on.
 If our space program were properly funded it would have been a person seeing that "whatever it is" rather than a machine.

Ed McCaffrey, Mexico, Maine (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:28 PM)

Is it just me or does this martian look exactly like the sasquatch in the famous bigfoot video?

Nathan, Great Falls, Montana (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:32 PM)

Could it possibly be a "human-noid" or a rock formation, if so, how could even the sandiest winds form it into an almost perfect statue-like formation... Michael Angelo must be hanging out up there if thats the case.

C.D.P., Nashville, AR (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:33 PM)

Why don't they just take another picture at the same angle and see. If that thing is still in the same position, then we'll know it's not a being just something else. But if they take another shot of it and its not there, then something is definitely living on that planet...

Melinda (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:37 PM)

I love it! Who are we to say that we are IT in the universe. I don't think so. But it does look like a  the Little Mermaid Statue in Denmark. It does make you think!

Joanne Deutch (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:38 PM)

I don't know what you people are seeing.  It's obviously just an old tree stump with a branch sticking out!  Still, I think they should give the next rover a 12-gauge just to be on the safe side.  

Greg Miller, Greene, NY (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:41 PM)

There is some evidence that shuttle Columbia lost part of both wings and it's tail over Calif., Arizona & Nevada and was coming in sideways, thousands of feet lower than Nasa said it was before it broke up. If they wouldn't come clean about that, what makes anyone think they'd come clean about this. They're a government agency,for goodness sake. Does anyone seriously expect the truth out of them?

Tommy, Cedar Rapids, IA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:47 PM)

well lets see that is not human and that is not a rock so what is it i can tell you what it isnt is not a alien i can tell you that it is a spirt of some kind. i bet it is god telling us that he is comein and that is where he is now watching us. are mabey it is a ghost from the past caught in the worlds. you decide.

james revia winnie tx (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:48 PM)

They finally got Sasquatch!

Jepson Staral (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:54 PM)

Maybe its a statue or a fossilized astronaut from earth... There's also no scale to the picture. It could be the size of quarter or the size of Texas.

David V, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:55 PM)

I'm sorry folks. That was just me. I wanted to look at those cool rovers. I didn't realize I was in camera.

Superman, Metropolis (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:56 PM)

Of course it is not a living being.

Stu, Memphis, TN (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:57 PM)

why is it that we have all these cameras with magnifying lenses and cameras that take pics of stars billions of miles away, yet the two main cameras that we have on a planet we have control over, have less capability than my cellphone?  This is a rock formation by the looks of it, yet as others have said, lets send the robots back and do a double take.  

El Paso, TX (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:58 PM)

Great, now the Democrats are going to raise our taxes to "help" the poor aliens.

Greg, Altoona PA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:59 PM)

Amazing. Simply amazing. Did any of you nuts consider the SCALE of the "alien"? The rovers are NOT tall, and this thing is in the foreground of the image. This object is small. Impressed by its slightly green shade? This is a FALSE COLOR IMAGE. And here's the biggest kicker, check out the original image in steroscopic vision. It's a rock formation. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20080103a/1198866020_960-2_Sol1369A_WestValley_L7R1ana.jpg

Matt, MA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:01 PM)

and everyone is assuming this is a female alien?
Hmmmm - I think that is the more interesting part of this story!

Debra Matteoli, Santa Rosa CA (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:04 PM)

I had to magnify the photo by 400% and came to the conclusion that this could be a female figure. And upon further observation it looks like you could actually make out a facial outline with a really cool head of hair. Also you can sort of make out a bit of shoulder with some sleeve coverage of some sort.
So it looks like this female could be a hot chick. And if she were to be a hot chick, then hot guys are sure to follow! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! I'd go to mars for that! Who's with me on this?

ANDREA RUIZ, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:05 PM)

As to the comments that nature could never create that image on its own, I urge you to remember the Old Man of the Mountain in NH, before it's untimely demise. Nature created that, why not the Mars image? Though aliens would be fun too....

Lauren Letourneau, Berlin, NH (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:09 PM)

I am sorry if some feel that there is a "flippant approach" to this subject, but you believe what you want to believe when you read it. Idiots can manipulate images and reasonings to their own end as well. There is probably a belief as well that double talk, backward writing, and crop circles are real as well. Some of us have to live on this planet...some don't.

John Simpson (Sent Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:13 PM)



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