DH Latest NewsLatest NewsScience

Photo of mysterious hole on Mars that could hold clue to life released by NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released the latest images of a mysterious hole, which was discovered in 2011, on Mars. As per scientists the hole on the Mars holds an answer to the question whether there is life on the planet.

The image depicts the dusty slopes of Mars’ Pavonis Mons volcano. The image was taken by the HiRISE instrument aboard the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which currently circles the planet.

A blog posted by NASA on last week claims that such Martian pits appear to be “relatively good candidates” to contain life as they have interior caves that remain “relatively protected” from the planet’s harsh surface. “These holes are therefore prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers,” the blog published on March 1 says.

The image suggests the hole to be an opening about 35 meters across to an underground cavern which is estimated to be around 20 meters deep.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and has a very thin atmosphere.  The environment of the Red Planet is characterised as dusty and cold, almost desert-like.

While India and the European Space Agency (ESA) have their spacecraft in orbit above Mars, NASA has three spacecraft in orbit, one rover and one lander on the Martian surface.

shortlink

Post Your Comments


Back to top button