Anomalies in Spirit image Sol 076

Anomalies in Spirit image Sol 076

William C. Treurniet, April, 2008 Summary. A panoramic photograph, Sol 076, taken by the Mars Spirit rover shows a number of objects scattered on the ground. Several of the objects have properties different from those expected if the rubble were nothing more than a natural heap of rocks. Some appear to be hollow, some are thin sheets of material, and several are etched with geometric drawings. A number of pieces appear to represent, respectively, a female human torso, a feline head, a humanoid leg, and a boot or ungulate foot. Another roughly cylindrical object appears to be wrapped with a fabric. A photograph from Sol 078, which overlaps the scene, shows that the feline head is part of an object that resembles the body of a quadruped. The evidence is consistent with speculation that the rover may have photographed parts of a damaged cultural artifact on Mars. The similarities between parts of the artifact and images from Earth suggest that humanity may have been influenced long ago by beings who also visited Mars.
One of NASA's Mars Spirit rover photos (Panoramic Camera: Sol 076) contains a number of objects that appear at first glance to be just rocks. A stereo version of the image was found in the Northwestern University stereo image archive with an Image ID number of 426. Careful analyses of the latter image revealed that some of the objects have characteristics not associated with rocks, and some have shapes that are familiar to us. The left and right stereo views are shown in Figure 1. While most of the significant information can be seen in the right monocular view, some impressions cannot be seen without the ability to distinguish different depths in the image. The subjective effect is much improved with a stereo viewer.

Figure 1. Spirit Rover image Sol 076, panoramic camera

In the following discussion, a number of interesting objects in Figure 1 are identified. Many have properties that are inconsistent with rocks. In order to examine some of the areas of the photo more closely, sections of the stereo view were extracted and magnified. Visibility of many details improved considerably, especially when using a stereo viewer. A labeled monocular version of the image accompanies each stereogram for ease of reference. The relatively high frequency of anomalies compared to other sites on Mars suggests that something unusual once stood on this place.
Observations emphasized in red text support the argument that some objects are more than mere rocks and may possibly be constructed.
Figure 2 shows an enlarged area around the object that looks like a torso (A). The anatomy of the torso may be compared with a human female statue such as Falconet's Bather, for example. The angle of the breasts of the Martian female are quite similar to those of the Bather. There is also a suggestion of textured clothing covering the breasts and the neck area, leaving the area between the breasts uncovered. It is unlikely that the torso is a rock shaped by some natural process, since it has another property that differentiates it from a mere rock. Specifically, touching the torso from behind is a thin, broad, smoothly curved band of material that arcs from shoulder to shoulder. Especially in the stereo view, the torso seems to be a hollow object.
In the center is another curved sheet of material (C) with markings on the surface and indentations along the edge. In front of this sheet are bars of some material (D) with the ends bent upwards at 90 degrees. The end of the bar has a point that is itself a 90 degree angle. These shapes are not at all typical of rocks seen in the Martian environment.
Just behind the latter curved sheet is a rock with additional markings (B) that many people may find familiar. The markings seem to outline the face of an alien "gray" from contemporary Earth culture. Click here for a discussion of this even more unexpected aspect of the image.
In the foreground is an object (E) that looks like a foot or boot resting on the back of the heel. The bottom of the foot faces to the right and the sole appears to be missing. The hollow interior is easily visible in the stereo view, as is some sand that seems on the verge of falling out. Following the foot analogy, the top of the ankle has the appearance of a ball joint that is connected to the foot by a visibly separate rod-like material (E1). The rest of the foot seems to be made of several interlocking pieces. The side piece (E2) has markings consistent with a grinding process as if it were constructed. The top of the foot (E3) has several markings that smoothly follow the raised center which ends in a pointed toe. This object could have been formed by some process such as erosion, but it seems unlikely given the apparent integration of multiple parts.

Figure 2. Magnified stereo view of the area around the torso

To the right of the foot-like object is an approximately cylindrical object (F) with some simple geometric markings on its side. The stereo view is shown enlarged in Figure 2a. The right end of the cylinder is shaded from the light source, and is surrounded by material that seems to be torn and partially rolled back along the circumference (F1). In this material on the far side is a brightly lit square hole (F2), as well as another hole above it that is partially visible. Both are revealed by the light shining through. Close to the square hole in F2 is another dimmer source of illumination. Through the stereo viewer, this dimmer light is positioned slightly closer to the camera. It appears to be either a chad hanging from the edge of the brighter hole, or a reflection from the end of a shaft near the axis of the cylinder. The faint hint of the shaft is in only the left view, so its exact position and, hence, the existence of the shaft, is not certain. The torn and displaced covering material, the precise square hole, and the dimmer reflected point of light indicate that this object is not a rock.

Figure 2a. Magnified view of Object F

Figure 2b emphasizes, on a slightly enhanced image of Object F, some relatively symmetrical circular and curvilinear markings on its side. Forms like these also seem artificial, and they may have either an aesthetic or functional purpose.

Figure 2b. Adornments or functional forms on Object F

The appearance of the somewhat cylindrical Object F gives the feeling of a manufactured object. It is wrapped in some type of material that has a well-defined square hole. It may have a central axle, and it has markings on the exterior that may serve some function. If it were found on Earth, it might be considered a device like an electric motor, and the shapes on the side might show the form of an antenna under the material wrapping.
Figure 3 shows the enlarged area in the upper left of the photo. The right view shows most of what appears to be a feline head (A), while the left view contains only the profile of the nose. The top and back of the head are textured with what appear to be thick strands of hair. The right side of the head clearly shows what looks like a feline ear. In front of the head is a dark object (B) with a fuzzy, feathered contour, and this is also uncharacteristic of a rock.
The two smooth rocks on the ground in front of the head (C) are textured with a regular crisscross pattern that is similar to the pattern on the torso near the neck.
In the lower right of the image is an object (D) that appears to be hollow judging from the opening at its lower left.

Figure 3. Magnified stereo view of the area near the head

The Mars Spirit rover image in Figure 3a, taken on Sol 078, also shows the torso as well as the complete object of which the feline head is a part. Click here to see a monochrome stereo view of the Sol 078 image (Filter centers: Left - 482 nm, Right - 436 nm). The image in Figure 3a was cropped from a colorized image derived from Sol 078 data using a program called FilterMix. The orientation of the camera to the subject is different from the Sol 076 image, but the feline head is still apparent. Further, the head is part of a somewhat damaged body which, nevertheless, models musculature appropriate for a feline. From this new vantage point, there is even a suggestion of an eye socket. There is also the hint of a tail, but this may merely be the edge of another barely visible large object. Some might say that the object is a rock formed by some natural process. If so, the feline likeness of the head, first discovered in Figure 3 and subsequently supported by the quadrupedal body shape in Figure 3a, would be a remarkable chance formation.

Figure 3a. Complete object associated with the feline head

The left side of Figure 4 shows the enlarged area from the center right section of the original image. There appear to be several curious objects here. Object A is shaped like a boot with the sole and the ankle forming an angle of 110 degrees. On the side of the boot is etched part of a circular pattern (A1) centered on the toe. Inside the circumference of the circle segment are markings that appear to be graphic symbols.
The large object (B) at the bottom of the picture seems to be made of hollow sections. One section has an approximately rectangular hole in the side (B1). On the bottom left of the object is etched a semi-circular outline (B2) also decorated with a series of symbols.

Figure 4. Magnified stereo view of the center right section

Figure 5 shows the enlarged view of the top right section of the original image. The enlargement shows more clearly a darker object (A) just above the center. It has a short cylindrical shape at one end, with a smaller circle visible inside the cylinder. In terms familiar to us, it looks like an adapter for joining pipes of different diameters. It is unlikely that this object, with its connected circular shapes, is a rock carved by natural processes.
Also at the top right corner of this image, just visible behind the smooth sand dune, lies a smooth, almost cylindrical object (B). The end of the object appears to have broken off, exposing a darkened area just above the broken end piece. This darkened area is unlikely to be a shadow given the direction of the light in the image. The alternative is that the cylindrical shape is hollow, and the shadow is actually an opening to the object's interior.

Figure 5. Magnified stereo view of the top right section

Figure 6 shows the enlarged view of the left bottom of the original image. Near the bottom of the image is a symmetrical object (A) that seems to have been carved out of stone. Attached to the right end of this object is something (B) shaped very much like a starfish.
Geometric designs also appear to be present in this image segment. The rock at the center-right of the image seems to be decorated with at least two circular designs, one positioned at the lower center of the rock (C), and the other centered near the right end (D). There is a suggestion of a third circular arc etched above Element C.

Figure 6. Magnified stereo view of the left bottom section

Discussion

Some people have insisted that there are nothing but rocks in the image. The noted anomalies are not anomalies at all, but are the result of an overactive imagination that sees familiar shapes in random data. However, even without making any higher-level associations with familiar shapes, there are a number of objects that appear to have properties not consistent with rocks. This issue is examined further in another report. For example, there is the thin, almost gossamer, curved band of material running from shoulder to shoulder on the back side of the 'torso'. There is the slightly thicker curved band of material just below and to the right of the 'torso'. There is the approximately cylindrical object beside the 'boot' that appears to be covered with material that was torn and rolled back. The same object appears to have a small reflective surface in its shadow. Also unusual is the number of 'rocks' that appear to be hollow. Those objects that cannot be described as rocks must be accounted for some other way.
If there were only one recognizable object such as the torso, some natural process might have given the object its shape by chance. But there are a number of other recognizable objects in the image, and it seems highly unlikely that all can be explained in this way. For example, there is the feline head, a very recognizable object complete with an ear and texture that looks like strands of hair. The head is supported by an appropriately shaped body. There is the complex hollow object that seems to be made of interlocking pieces, and looks like it could be a representation of a foot or boot. There is the large hollow object that seems to have the shape of a humanoid leg. The likelihood of finding this many recognizable, separate but related objects in one location on Mars by chance seems rather remote. Both these objects and the glyphs engraved into several of the rocks fit well into a smashed sculpture scenario. A sculptor could have created the aforementioned objects having properties not found in rocks.

Some implications

The discovery of remnants of a humanoid sculpture on Mars would be convincing evidence that intelligent life existed there in the past. The appearance there of objects familiar to us suggests the possibility that Earth culture may have been influenced long ago by beings who also visited Mars. These beings might have been responsible for the observed similarity between the Martian artifacts and images from Earth.