The mysterious hole captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) could be what scientists have been looking for for a long time.
For a long time, projects to establish bases on planets such as the Moon and Mars have focused on researching places that humans can use to take refuge against harsh cosmic radiation.
That’s where astrobiologists are concerned, too. Because in unlucky worlds like Earth that have a strong atmosphere shielding them, impacts from the universe are what hinder life.
There’s a place that can solve that: Caves originating from ancient lava tubes.
Mysterious hole on Mars – Photo: NASA
Theo Universe Today, An image of a strange hole captured by NASA in the Arsia Mons region of Mars is expected to be the entrance to such a lava tube.
Arsia Mons is one of three dormant volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes group of Mars.
Surrounding this volcanic cluster is a vast volcanic plain thousands of kilometers across. It is higher than the rest of Mars, with the average elevation of the entire plain being about 10 km above the planet’s average elevation.
Clearly, the area has had volcanic activity in the past and features such as craters are a direct result of ancient volcanic activity.
One thing that scientists still doubt is whether this hole is just a shallow hole like some sinkholes that have been recorded in Hawaii on Earth.
The reflection of light on one side of the hole wall has raised that suspicion, because perhaps this hole is not really as deep and wide open below as scientists expected.
However, NASA’s analyzes also show that with the relatively weak gravity of Mars, it is not surprising that its lava tubes cannot be as large and complex as Earth’s lava tubes.
Lava tubes on Earth often have a temperate environment and some chemical components that microorganisms can utilize as a source of life, and can also contain water sources.
So that’s where future missions from NASA and other space agencies will likely target, because Mars is also one of the planets most likely to have life, including ancient life. era and if luckier, an extreme form of life still exists today.