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A space station on mars?

June 7, 2011

While this can almost certainly be chalked up to photographic noise or perhaps some strange colored rocks, an armchair astronomer has found an interesting structure while using Mars mode in Google Earth.

bio-station.jpg

David Martines was randomly flying around Mars in Google Earth when he noticed the structure on the planet. He then created a YouTube video showing it off, and the video has racked up over 700,000 views!
[UPDATE: The video has been removed from YouTube, though we don’t know why.]
Of course, none of this would even be possible if it wasn’t for the excellent Mars feature that Google added as part of Google Earth 5.
To access Mars mode in Google Earth, simply click the planet icon at the top of the screen, and choose “Mars” from the dropdown, as shown here:
>mars.jpg

To view the “space station” on Mars, simply download this KML file and it will take you there.
What do you think the object could be?
(via Daily Mail)

About Mickey Mellen

Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.

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Filed Under: Science, Sightseeing

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PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. Justinf says

    June 7, 2011 at 8:42 am

    It’s “astronomer”, not astrologist.
    Astrologists do hocus pocus horoscopes. Astronomers actually study space.

  2. Markus says

    June 7, 2011 at 10:41 am

    I find the uncritical baloney in the reporting about this as repulsive as this guy’s assumptions. Most of all I wouldn’t even call him “armchair astronomer” – he’s not an astronomer by any stretch of the definition whatsoever. He’s just a guy with Google Earth. Astronomers are scientists. Scientists wouldn’t jump to ridiculous conclusions that defy Occam’s Razor (it’s a space station!) based on nothing but a small bunch of pixels that could be anything.

  3. I believe says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:34 am

    Clearly this is a real, functioning space station. What else could it possibly be?

  4. Frank Mcaree says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:34 am

    It is where they do the filming for the fake moon landings

  5. b. says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:37 am

    “I can’t tell whether this image was taken by Viking or what,” McEwen said. “The people at Google need to document what the heck they’re doing. They should be able to identify what the source of their information is, and let people know so they can go back and look at the raw data.”
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43299687/ns/technology_and_science-science/

  6. BDS says

    June 7, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    To me it looks like the Mars Express satellite. Unless you can get a real-time video of Mars, there is going to be occasional photo captures of the three man-made satellites currently orbiting Mars.

  7. Wesley S. says

    June 7, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    It’s pixelation in the image. At that altitude and resolution, everything is very blurry, except these obvious “squares” linked together. Google Moon has the same errors.

  8. Richard Krista says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:19 am

    It is too structured to be just a digital glitch. The main question is as to whether it is a scam or not and who the perpetrator is-plenty of publicity for GOOGLE and the SPACE program in any case.

  9. Paultons says

    June 8, 2011 at 7:24 am

    It is raster image. The height and resolution, everything is very vague, apart from these obvious “square” connected. Google Moon has the same error.

  10. Freddi says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    Maybe it is just a phantom settlement, made-up by Google employees to identify copyright infringements.
    If someone copies maps and claims it is not stolen, then one can prove that the stolen maps contain the same errors.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_trap#Maps

  11. brian says

    June 8, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    Mouse-Brains! It either Does not exist or is a sattelite!

  12. MPJ says

    June 15, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    Google should add more HiRISE image strips to GE(Mars) – preferable the RGB strips instead of the IRB ones currently included in GE.

  13. Groblich Magflurg says

    June 29, 2012 at 10:06 am

    Interesting to note that the video of this on you tube has been taken down . No explanation as to why . Is Big (terrified) Brother watching us ?



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

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