A Mars satellite is sending back some of the most detailed images of the planet ever taken. The camera beaming images back to earth is called HiRISE, or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (you can see why the acronym is important). For those of us who are part of the first generation in space, this is exciting stuff.

Now one of the fabulous new photos is bound to be a big disappointment. I am sure we have all seen this picture of the famous Face On Mars before in numerous places.

Now based on this low resolution picture from the Viking Orbiter I taken in 1976, a popular conspiracy theory arose that it was an artificial structure created by highly intelligent extraterrestial life forms that NASA was hiding from us. Now the HiRISE has sent back some excellent pictures, showing that unfortunately, it is just an outcropping of a rock formation.

Scientists will continue to receive new images until October 6. They are looking for evidence of longstanding bodies of water on the surface.

It is expected that once it is proved that the Happy Face crater and the Mars Valentine Heart are not outer space alien greeting cards to earthlings, thousands of websites will be taken down until the owners have figured out how NASA faked the HiRISE pictures to cover up their plot to keep average citizens from contacting extraterrestrial life.