Hole discovered on Mars that's so deep no one knows what's inside it

Great mysteries of the universe continue to be tackled by the scientific community, and there’s another fascinating find from the surface of Mars which captured the attention of experts across the world.

A pit measuring a few metres across and around 178 metres deep was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

It's a potentially significant discovery as humans will need spaces below the surface of the planet to shelter from radiation and dust storms when manned missions to Mars eventually take place in the future.

This need could be fulfilled by skylights, which are collapsed sections of lava tubes below the surface.

If the pit captured by the HiRISE leads to underground caverns, it could help experts to better plan future visits to Mars.

Could this be crucial to future missions to Mars?NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

The pit was formed by volcanic activity in the Tharsis Region of Tharsis Bulge plain on the Red Planet, caused by collapses that happened deep underground. Such formations are found on Earth in Hawaii.

Many of these type of pits have been found on the Moon, too. It's also been discovered that some of the pits on the Moon are a thermally stable temperature, too, at around 17 degrees centigrade.

Much more research is required before scientists establish whether Mars is home to lava tubes, which could prove essential when it comes to organising manned missions to the planet. This is certainly an intriguing development, though.

iStock

Meanwhile, the search for life on the Red Planet has taken a very encouraging turn, with experts claiming that the key could already have been found under the surface.

It was also recently revealed that as well as the Moon affecting the tides, it’s now become clear that Mars plays games with the world’s oceans.

Scientists have discovered a secret connection between the orbits of Earth and Mars, and found that this cosmic duet plays an important part in global warming.

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