A Curious Cydonia Formation Revisited
See: http://www.mactonnies.com/cydonia.html (page 38)
When the Mars Global Surveyor returned its first image
of the Face in 1998 (the now-infamous "catbox") it
also revealed small-scale anomalies just barely
visible in Viking imagery. One of these was a feature
dubbed the "Coathanger" by Professor Stanley V.
McDaniel. Others observed that the "Coathanger" was
roughly dolphin-shaped, prompting much esoteric
theorizing. The Coathanger lies in the immediate
vicinity of the Face, justifying a careful
examination; are we seeing evidence of engineering or
geology?
The most peculiar aspect of the Coathanger is its row
of bright
"notches," thought to be composed of ice or, if
artificial, perhaps a form of glass. The Coathanger is
seen in context below. Note nearby bright dome-shaped
mounds.
[image]
The regularly spaced notches appear quite
artificial-looking and remain unexplained. If natural,
they would seem to be a more refined version of the
various ribbed "tubes" found elsewhere on Mars.
(Similar bright markings can be seen on the edge of
the mesa just above the Coathanger, although these are
scarcely as elaborate or extensive as the so-called
"tubes." Similar markings can be found at the base of
the City Pyramid.)
[image]
Luckily, the Face image released by Malin Space
Science Systems on April 4 shows the Coathanger at
much better resolution. The anomalous notches are
still evident, as are nearby deviations in the
landscape. It's interesting that one such deviation,
looking something like an shallow, elongated
"earthworks," appears in close proximity to the
Coathanger. This tends to suggest a common origin for
the two features. The Coathanger itself looks little
like its namesake. It resembles a dolphin or fish see
in profile, the dorsal fin of which is elevated above
the rest of the formation. Close inspection suggests
that the elevated portion may shelter a porous, highly
degraded material unlike that of the surrounding
desert, although better images are needed to prove or
disprove this. The white notches line the morphology's
base like an enormous ruler.
It's conceivable that the Coathanger is a weathered
fragment of a once-enclosed structure. The approximate
45 degree angle formed by the aforementioned
"earthworks" suggests a triangular enclosure whose
roof has long since succumbed to erosion. Richard
Hoagland offered this possibility (presented as fact)
in a 1998 photo-essay in which he referred to the
Coathanger as a "tetrahedral ruin." As the new image
makes clear, there is nothing even vaguely
"tetrahedral" here -- only a few suggestive remnants.
If the Coathanger once had a pyramidal roof, we might
expect to find a third, flanking
"earthworks"; the presence of a perfect equilateral
triangle on Mars might sway even committed skeptics.
But the presumed third "wall" is missing.
In conclusion, the Coathanger's reality remains
unknown. If the Face is artificial, it makes sense to
examine neighboring landforms for evidence of
deliberate alteration. The Coathanger may well be an
architectural ruin. Unfortunately, while the new image
emphasizes the feature's strangeness, it doesn't tell
us anything fundamentally new.
