Mysterious hole discovered on Mars

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the discovery of a mysterious hole on Mars.

According to Space.com, this hole, located on the slope of an ancient volcano, is a few meters wide and was first discovered on August 15, 2022. The report states that the image of this mysterious pit, situated on the edge of the now-extinct Arsia Mons volcano, was captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) using the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera.

According to the report in Chip, NASA's spacecraft was only 256 kilometers above the Martian surface when the photo was taken. This mysterious hole is thought to be a vertical shaft.

As noted in the report, it is possible that these holes could be used as shelters for astronauts in the future. Since Mars has a thinner atmosphere than Earth and lacks a global magnetic field, living on its surface is not easy due to space radiation. Therefore, as is the case on the Moon, it is considered that any station or initial settlements to be established on Mars should begin underground.

COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT LIFE ON MARS

These pits could also provide information about life on Mars. The statement notes that "another attractive aspect of these pits is that they may be of astrobiological interest, not only as shelters for human astronauts, but also as protected habitats for past life on Mars, or perhaps even where microbial life might actually exist today."

The fact that these mysterious holes are found on the edges of volcanoes suggests they are likely linked to past volcanic activity on Mars. Extinct volcanoes on the Moon and Earth also contain such tunnels through which lava once flowed but which are now empty.

It is not yet known how deep these holes on Mars are, or whether they open into a large cave or consist only of a small, cylindrical tunnel. Nevertheless, these holes could provide an ideal area for the first landing and habitat construction for a future crewed mission to Mars.

News Source: 12punto