article_snippet: This time the debate involves Mars – the so-called 'red planet' – which conspiracy theorists believe is in fact more blue and green.
article_snippet: which conspiracy theorists argue Nasa has manipulated the colour of images from Mars to appear red, orange and pink, in what which conspiracy theorists claim is an attempt to mask life on the planet.
article_snippet: Its initial images revealed what appeared to be a blue sky (right), but in reality Nasa says the planet has a red/orange sky.
article_snippet: Nasa claims a red/orange sky appeared blue because Viking's filtered images still had to be calibrated with the right colour balance.
article_snippet: a report by Alan Boyle in NBC News revealed what appeared to be a blue sky, similar to that seen on Earth, raising hopes that there may be Martian life.
article_snippet: Nasa claims a red/orange sky appeared blue in the first Martian images because Viking's filtered photographs still had to be calibrated with the right colour balance.
article_snippet: Ron Levin, a researcher at Lockheed Martin stated in areport: 'An excess of red is found on all of the Martian blue and green panels. '
article_snippet: Nasa says raw colour is similar to the way the scene would look 'in a typical smart-phone camera photo' Pictured is the same scene after it has been given a white-balanced colour adjustment that turns the sky blue.
article_snippet: As a result, pictures of Mars are usually altered to provide a red and pink tinge caused by the iron-heavy dust that fills the atmosphere.
article_snippet: To add to the confusion, the Curiosity rover recently found that the interior of Mars rock 'Telegraph Peak' is in fact blue/grey.
article_snippet: To add to the confusion, the Curiosity rover recently found that the interior of Mars' rock 'Telegraph Peak' is in fact blue/grey .
highlights_snippet: In 1976 Nasa's Viking 1 sent back an image of Mars with blue skies .
  