MARS was not always the beaming red we’re so used to seeing in space.
Scientists have revealed that it was actually a “blue planet” some 3billion years ago.
The search for water on other planets is a key focus for experts hoping to one day find alien life.
We’ve known for sometime now that Mars has water with hints of ancient riverbeds, deltas, and shorelines.
And it still does today in the form of water ice and hidden subsurface liquid.
But now researchers have been able to delve deeper to understand just how vast it was.
RED-DY TO GO!
Origami-style Mars home that deploys ‘with single pull of a string’ revealed
HEAVEN’S DOOR
The stunning Mars homes for colonists that’ll be printed by robot builders
And staggeringly it turns out the red – or blue – planet was once half covered in ocean.
It’s believe this mystery ocean was at least as large as our own Arctic Ocean, where the North Pole is located.
Sign up for The Sun Tech newsletter for gadgets, games & more
Hello! I’m Sean Keach, The Sun’s Head of Technology and Science
I’ve been writing about gadgets, games and the future of technology for more than a decade.
During that time I’ve penned thousands of articles, filmed hundreds of videos, talked tech on TV and radio, and travelled around the world to bring you the latest on Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, Netflix and more.
And I’ve got a weekly newsletter called The Sun Tech that you can read for free every Thursday.
I bring you the latest from the world of tech, including behind-the-scenes action, exclusive content, expert analysis, and plenty of help advice – so please follow along!
The team made the shock discovery after carefully analysing high definition images taken by orbiter over Mars.
“We know Mars as a dry, red planet. However, our results show that it was a blue planet in the past, similar to Earth,” explained Ignatius Argadestya, a PhD student at the University of Bern.
“The unique high-resolution satellite images of Mars have enabled us to study the Martian landscape in great detail by surveying and mapping.”
They noticed that structures on the planet are very similar to the classic river deltas you find here on Earth.
These are traces of rivers that have deposited their sediments into a huge ocean.
This canyon system would have served as the mouth of a river into an ocean.
And just like any ocean, there would have been a coastline too.
Today, wind-sculpted dunes cover the former delta structures.
But their original shape is still clearly recognisable.
“When measuring and mapping the Martian images, I was able to recognise mountains and valleys that resemble a mountainous landscape on Earth,” Argadestya added.
“However, I was particularly impressed by the deltas that I discovered at the edge of one of the mountains.”
And of course, a Mars full of water would be an essential ingredient for supporting life – so the discovery is sure to embolden experts in their search for aliens.
The research was published in journal npj Space Exploration.
Mars facts
Here’s what you need to know about the red planet…
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
- It is named after the Roman god of war
- The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth but due to the difference in gravity you could jump three times higher there than you can here
- Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest
- Mars is considered to be the second most habitable planet after Earth
- It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
- The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles, and has an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles
- Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C
