In 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin captured the famous footage of what many cryptozooligists and kooks believe is Bigfoot. Perhaps sick of urban sprawl, the Patterson-Gimin Sasquatch relocated to the Red Planet.
In a panoramic image captured by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in November 2007, a Bigfoot-like figure appears among the surface formations. The Internet grabbed hold of this photo around the beginning of 2008, and bloggers have been nuts over it. For some, this proves life on Mars. Perspective be damned. For these theorists, to paraphrase Austin Powers, “It’s a hominid, baby.”
That’s quite a leap from evidence of past water on Mars. However, if any machines could ever prove life existing elsewhere than Earth, it will be those industrious rovers.
Unfortunately, NASA played the role of wet blanket last Friday by announcing the shape is not Bigfoot or any other bipedal creature. Instead, this figure is a “2-inch sedimentary rock that has been eroded by the wind.” Cue the trombone … wah, wah, waaaah!
What a disappointment. But this isn’t the end of the rainbow. Maybe a chupacabra will turn up in a MESSENGER image of Mercury.