A MYSTERIOUS hole on Mars could be harbouring alien life in an extensive network of underground tunnels, according to Nasa.
From orbit, scientists have captured a deep pit on the Red Planet that looks like it leads underground.
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The image, titled “An unusual hole in Mars,” shows a pockmarked planet that could be hiding tons of subterranean pockets.
“There are numerous holes pictured in this Swiss cheese-like landscape, with all-but-one of them showing a dusty, dark, Martian terrain beneath evaporating, light, carbon dioxide ice,” Nasa wrote.
“The most unusual hole is on the upper right, spans about 100 meters, and seems to punch through to a lower level.”
It’s unclear what caused the hole.
Though scientists assume the circular crater that surrounds it suggests it was created by a meteor impact.
“Holes such as this are of particular interest because they might be portals to lower levels that extend into expansive underground caves,” Nasa explained.
“If so, these naturally occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life.
“These pits are therefore also prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers.“
Mars has an incredibly hostile environment compared to Earth.
It fluctuates between extreme temperatures, and has a surface level radiation that would be incredibly harmful to humans.
That’s why Nasa is considering underground habitation for its future human explorers.
While humans will struggle to withstand such hazards, so will other organic life.
Martian caves may be some of the few locations humans can reach that have preserved evidence of whether life ever existed on Mars.
Nasa’s Mars Global Cave Candidate Catalogue has been keeping track of all the possible caves on Mars, with over 1,000 candidates having been discovered.
Without boots or machinery on the ground, it’s hard to tell what is a cave entrance, and what is simply a hole.
And it’s impossible to know how far any of the caves extend beneath the surface.
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How long does it take to get to Mars?
It’s not that short of a trip…
- There’s an immense distance between Earth and Mars, which means any trip to the red planet will take a very long time
- It’s also made more complicated by the fact that the distance is constantly changing as the two planets rotate around the sun
- The closest that the Earth and Mars would ever be is a distance of 33.9million miles – that’s 9,800 times the distance between London and New York
- That’s really rare though: the more useful distance is the average, which is 140million miles
- Scientists on Earth have already launched a whole bunch of spacecraft to (or near) Mars, so we have a rough idea of how long it takes with current technology
- Historically, the trip has taken anywhere from 128 to 333 days – admittedly a huge length of time for humans to be on board a cramped spacecraft.
