Figure 1. HST images of Mars. The image on the left was taken in 1997. The image on the right was taken recently.
The data from the Neighborhood Watch Program supports the conclusion that the change in the Martian surface albedo was first discovered by J.D. Hamiltion, et al, at the STScI and Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Hamilton was conducting routine astronomical measurements of the Martian surface with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and comparing that data to archived astronomical measurements in the STScI depository. This effort was part of Mr. Hamilton's doctoral research program. During the initial period of analysis on HST data taken most recently (at that time approximately 24 months prior to this report) Hamilton noticed that the data suggested significant changes in the color of the Martian surface. At first, neither Hamilton nor his advisory committee believed the data and thought that there was failing equipment on the HST.
Hamilton, et al, then contacted the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona to make similar (though not as resolved) measurements with the large aperture telescope there. Nearly four months was required to find a schedule opening in the telescope cycle before the Lowell Observatory corroborated the HST data. Realizing that the images taken with the HST were real, Hamilton compiled and then presented the data to the STScI Director, who in turn presented the data to the NASA Director. The NASA Director and the President's Science Advisor then advised the President of the United States and other White House officials of the unusual phenomenon. This is when Neighborhood Watch was instigated.
As the data taken via HST and Lowell was quite exhaustive we will give here a summary of that data. Figure 1 shows two images of Mars taken at two different times but at roughly the same opposition and orbital time. The first image was taken by HST in the 1997 observation cycle while the second was taken during the research cycle implemented by Hamilton, et al. It is clear from these images that there is significant color albedo change. The later image also appears brighter and the Limb of the planet appears more bright and blue.
Figure 2 shows the reflectance albedo as a function of wavelength. The albedo measured in 1997 has been verified from multiple sources and the data displayed here is actually an average from several sources up to and during 1997. The albedo measured by Hamilton, et al, shows that the reflectance across the spectrum has increased dramatically. This would suggest a reduction in the diffuse reflectivity and perhaps an increase in the specular nature of the reflections.
Figure 3 is a mosaic of the complete Martian surface albedo changes between 1977 and 1997 as compiled from multiple sources. Over the twenty year period the average surface albedo changes ranged from -5% to +5% and are displayed as red for changes to the brighter and blue for changes to the darker.
Figure 4 is a similar mosaic of the complete Martian albedo changes that were compiled by all the data available to the Neighborhood Watch team. The changes range from 0-25% increase in brightness from the previous data shown in Figure 3. The brightness changes are widespread across the planet's surface and are significantly brighter than the previous data.
It should be pointed out here that although the data given in Figure 4 is compared to data in 1997 in no way are we implying that we believe the phenomenon began in 1997. It is only that recently we have been able to measure it. We have no evidence one way or the other to suggest a date at which the phenomenon manifested. We will discuss the timeline of the phenomenon further later in this section.
Figure 5 shows images of Mars taken with a modest 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain commercial telescope and a relatively inexpensive webcam CMOS detector. The far left image was taken by one of the team members' daughter (an amateur astronomer) approximately 20 months prior to the compiling of this report, the middle taken approximately 14 months prior, and the far right image taken about 1 month prior. From these images it is clear that the rumors on the Internet about the planet Mars changing colors could very well have been based on real measurements made by the amateur astronomy community.
Figure 6 shows three similar images from undergraduate astronomer Traci Adams with a 12 inch Meade LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a SAC Imaging CCD camera. The three images are from similar timeframes as in Figure 5.
Figure 7 shows a timeline of events pertaining to the Mars color change phenomenon and gives some insight into the compressed nature of these events. The phenomenon was discovered and investigated with some success in a matter of 24 months or so.
From the astronomical data given in Figures 1-6 and the knowledge that manmade probes orbiting and on the surface of Mars were failing all within months of each other, the conclusion that an unnatural phenomenon is taking place on the planet is not an unbelievable leap. In fact, the loss of probes in the sequence of orbiter first then landers seems suspect of intelligent design. Orbiting vehicles maintain a certain amount of global coverage and offer continuous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Dramatic changes in the planet's surface would become fairly apparent in the data collected by the orbiting probes. Ground probes are extremely limited to the area of surveillance and therefore are not as much of an ISR threat. Intelligent design to the phenomenon appears to be the only logical conclusion other explanations would require a tremendous amount of coincidental mishaps and occurrences with the probes – the surface albedo change not withstanding. It was this final analysis that led to the development of the Mars ISR Probe mission. On site reconnaissance was determined to be vital to understanding what we, humanity, could be facing from Mars.
