A whole new world of alien life could be accessed through a 'portal' discovered on Mars

A hole on Mars spanning 100 metres could serve as a “portal” leading to alien life underneath the planet’s surface.

Scientists believe life may have once existed on Mars for several compelling reasons, including strong evidence that the Red Planet once held liquid water. Though now known for its dry, dusty landscape, Mars is thought to have had a much thicker, warmer atmosphere — and sandy beaches — billions of years ago.

Although no conclusive evidence has been found to confirm life currently exists on Mars, or existed in the past, there are enough signs that keep hope alive. NASA’s Perseverance mission is actively searching for evidence of ancient life right now.

While we wait for the samples to be transported to Earth for testing, the American space agency shared a fascinating image of a massive opening in the Martian landscape.

The image was shared on NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day Instagram page and website, along with a caption written by an official astronomer to explain what we’re actually looking at and why it’s so exciting.

The caption was written and edited by Robert Nemiroff, astrophysicist and professor of Physics at the Michigan Technological University (MTU) and Jerry Bonnell, senior faculty specialist in the Astronomy Department at the University of Maryland.

The reason behind the hole’s creation is still a topic of speculation, however experts believe it might have been 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,” the caption for the image, which was originally snapped in 2017 by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, reads.

“If so, these naturally occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life.”

Are Martians hiding underground? It’s too early to say, but experts can’t rule it out.

“These pits are therefore also prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers,” the caption concludes.

One theory floated by scientists is the possibility of current Martian life living far beneath the planet’s surface. A specific area on Mars has been identified as a potential location for current life.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona investigated the places where current life could potentially exist on Mars, focusing on areas that might have the right levels of water, heat, and energy to sustain living organisms.

Andrea Butturini and his colleagues took data from a multitude of orbiters and rovers that have visited Mars. They found that Acidalia Planitia, a plain spanning a width of 2000 kilometres in the northern hemisphere, seems to have the right conditions for methane-producing bacteria to exist an estimated 4.3 to 8.8 kilometres beneath the surface.

It could therefore become a key place to look for Martian life.

However the experts noted that accessing subsurface life on Mars presents challenges, such as the need for deep drilling amid the harsh Martian environment.

While life on Mars remains unconfirmed, the possibility of discovering it deep beneath the surface is enough to keep us Earthlings buzzing with curiosity.

You should also read:

• Life on Mars could exist in subsurface water pools, study finds
• Scientists think there might be life hidden in underground caves on Mars

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.