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[Centaur]

The top picture containing an image of a rather ordinary Martian was taken by the rover Spirit this past November. The bottom version is a doctoring of the original designed to make it appear that Bigfoot actually lives on Mars. It’s currently making the rounds on the internet. Some people have no shame!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I like pin up girls.

My garage has quite a number of them, but not any from Mars...now it's complete.

But...

I am glad to see that the original NASA image has the correct Martian blue sky, than the usual skewed red haze image.

www.nasa.gov/images/content/207495main_Spirit.jpg

[Centaur]

admin said:

I am glad to see that the original NASA image has the correct Martian blue sky, than the usual skewed red haze image.

Of course my original post in this thread was done with tongue in cheek. The bottom photo there has not been doctored, unless there is a jokester at NASA. And nothing in the picture could have been moving, since it takes at least several minutes to employ the three different filter devices used to compile a color photograph. Nevertheless, some folks have been alerting us to the soldier on the right stealthily moving along the cliff edge as he approaches Bigfoot on the left.

Below is a mid-sized view of the photo in what NASA says are approximate true colors that may put things in better perspective. It includes a part of the rover’s solar panel. NASA says the hill that is dotted with rocks and is seen just above the center is about 30 meters away. Across the bottom third or quarter of the photo is the edge of the plateau on which the rover is sitting. Near the left end of the photo on the plateau edge is the object of interest. It appears to be a couple of meters away and a couple of centimeters in height.

NASA should instruct the rover to give the poor little man a few drops of water. He’s probably dehydrated from wandering the planet for millions of years in search of a mate.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I disagree that the last image has not been doctored.

It's washed out, saturated in the red hue...even the solar panels are washed out in false color...even considering Martian dust.

When the calibration dial is shown on the rover and color adjusted to reflect it, the sky turns blue, and the ground becomes vivid with color.

[Centaur]

admin said:

I disagree that the last image has not been doctored.

It's washed out, saturated in the red hue...even the solar panels are washed out in false color...even considering Martian dust.

When the calibration dial is shown on the rover and color adjusted to reflect it, the sky turns blue, and the ground becomes vivid with color.

Here is the NASA link from which I got the pictures: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/main/index.html

I cropped them from a larger version found under the heading "Latest Images - Spirit's West Valley Panorama (Approximate True Color)". If instead one views the version labeled "(False Color)", the sky becomes blue and color contrasts are sharpened. The text beneath the latter concludes with the sentence, "It is presented in a false-color stretch to bring out subtle color differences in the scene."