For decades, photos of a huge, face-shaped rock formation on Mars has made people wonder if there really is intelligent life on the Red Planet. But now the European Space Agency has said that the face is not really a face at all.
The face, which was first photographed by NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft more than 30 years ago, does not appear in the new, higher-resolution photos sent back by the European Space Agency's Mars Express shuttle.
The clearer picture was taken by the high-resolution stereo camera on Mars Express after multiple attempts to photograph the raised area between April 2004 and July 2006 were hampered by red dust and haze.
PHOTO: AP
“You can see a lot of features that you couldn't see before,” said Michael McKay, the former flight operations director of Mars Express.
The ‘face on Mars’ photos that fired the imagination of fans of space myths around the world were first taken 30 years ago when NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft spotted the Martian landform in the shape of a head measuring nearly 3.2km from end to end.
In 1998 and 2001, new, sharper pictures of the region were taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and showed that what had once appeared to be a face was only a rugged landscape rather than a possible alien monument. But that didn't stop public speculation.
Even though this Martian landform did not turn out to be a sign of life on Mars, it is still interesting for scientists studying the planets. (AP)
數十年以來，火星上巨大石臉的照片一直引人好奇火星上是否真的有智慧生命。不過現在歐洲太空總署說，那張臉根本就不是臉。
三十多年前首次被美國航太總署維京1號太空船拍下的那張臉，在歐洲太空總署火星號太空梭新傳回的較高解析度照片中，卻看不出是臉。
火星號的高解析度立體照相機在二○○四年四月到二○○六年七月間曾多次嘗試拍攝這塊隆起的區域，都遭紅塵與霧霾阻礙，後來終於拍下較為清晰的照片。
火星號的前飛行任務主任麥克．麥凱說︰「你可以看到許多前所未見的特徵。」
激發全球太空神話迷想像力的「火星人面山」照片，在三十年前首度被拍下。美國航太總署維京1號當時發現了這個總長將近三點二公里的頭狀火星地形。
一九九八年到二○○一年間，美國航太總署火星環球探勘者號拍下了這區更新、更明亮的照片，顯示一度看起來像臉的東西，不過是凹凸不平的地形，不太可能是外星人的遺跡。不過，那停止不了大眾揣測。
儘管這塊火星地形最後並非代表火星上有生命，對研究行星的科學家來說還是饒富興味。
（美聯社/翻譯︰賴美君）
Photographer Franziska Stuenkel likes to take spontaneous urban shots, so she needs a nimble camera that is ready to go when inspiration strikes: her German-made Leica M11. “I have to be very quick and discreet,” said the Berlin-based artist who captures reflections of people walking past windows, their contours merging with the shapes behind the glass. Stuenkel’s compact Leica is the perfect camera for the job, the 51-year-old told AFP. Famous for its pocket-sized and retro-style devices, the Leica brand is celebrating a milestone as it marks 100 years since its first commercial camera was presented to the public. The
As global travel rebounds following the COVID-19 pa ndemic, the longstanding issue of overtourism has returned stronger than ever. Throughout 2024, numerous popular destinations worldwide struggled with tourist numbers that far exceeded their infrastructural and environmental capacities. Not only does this surge congest streets and pollute landscapes, but it also endangers cultural sites and disrupts the daily lives of residents. In response to the growing problem of “overtourism,” various nations have adopted diverse strategies, some of which have sparked controversy. Venice, Italy, has not hesitated to take bold action; since 2024, the city has implemented one of the
A: This year’s Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, is coming on the first Monday of May. B: The event, featuring a lineup of stars, is often praised as fashion’s Oscars. A: Some Asian stars, like Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai, have also attended in the past. B: What are the theme and dress code this time? A: This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It’s the first time since 2003 that the theme is focusing on menswear. The dress code is “Tailored for You.” A: 哇今年的大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，即將在5月第一個星期一登場。 B: 這可是被譽為「時尚奧斯卡」的年度盛事，許多巨星都會參加耶。 A:
1. 錢已經用一半了。 ˇ Half of the money is gone. χ Half of the money are gone. 註：Half of ... 作主詞時，動詞與介詞 of 後面的名詞或代名詞相一致，即名詞或代名詞是單數時，動詞該是單數；若為複數，則動詞也該是複數，例如： Half of the story is interesting. Half of the stories are interesting. Half of it is interesting. Half of them are interesting. 2. 許多人走過這條路。 ˇ Many a man has travelled this road. χ Many a man have travelled this road. 註：many a 意義上雖然作 many 解，但後面應跟單數名詞，動詞也用單數形式。 3. 敵人被迫投降。 ˇ The enemy were forced to surrender. χ The enemy was forced to surrender. 註：enemy 作為總稱，前面須有定冠詞，用作句子主詞時，動詞通常用複數形。類似的情形如 talent： Taiwan is known for its semiconductor technology and is actively working to attract and retain global talent. 4. 他倆誰都不該責怪。 ˇ Neither of them is to blame. χ
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