From American Digest: Like the magician who keeps your attention focused on his left hand while his right hand picks your pocket, the much ballyhooed Rover Mars Missions have kept the world’s attention focused on microscopic proof of water while low orbit satellites continue transmit the real Mars on classified wavelengths.

As those who have been paying attention know, there are two levels of survey taking place at Mars now. One is centered on the Rovers and brings us Mars from about one foot above the surface. The other, more covert, mission involves a planet wide mapping survey from low orbit. While the signals from the first are in clear and easily obtainable, the latter’s transmissions of a bird’s-eye view of the planet are encrypted and sent back in burst transmissions in military wavelengths.

Intercepting, decoding and distributing signals that carry the real truth about Mars is the self-appointed task of the mysterious `Dr. Benway’ (not his real name). Benway has long been a thorn in the side of the military command charged with security at Area-51, but his passion for secrecy and his technical mastery have kept various agencies from locating him over the past four years he has been active.

Distributed through moderated UseNet groups, Benway’s “interceptions” are infrequent but always earthshaking. The image below is the latest and comes with the notation that it was snagged from the Mars Orbiter data stream within the last week, “Pass 247 / South Polar Area.”

Image of: Lake Heinlein?