text: The Face has been a topic of conversation since it was first photographed in 1976. When NASA first released the picture to the public, the caption stated: "huge rock formation... which resembles a human head... formed by shadows giving the illusion of eyes, nose, and mouth." Then, after extensive research to prove that it was actually not an alien creation of sorts, NASA determined that the shadows were, indeed, the cause of the shapes of the Face. It was even photographed numerous times to prove this fact, and because they felt it was important to taxpayers, as the chief scientist of NASA's Mars Exploration Program noted.