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Aliens Could Have Lived In Underground Tunnels On Mars, Experts Say

Aliens Could Have Lived In Underground Tunnels On Mars, Experts Say

The planet was once

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

Experts think that alien life could have survived if it was underground on Mars, thanks to tunnels created by lava millions of years ago.

According to scientists, although the surface of Mars isn't hospitable, life could have existed underground.

The surface of the planet has more than 1,000 deep caves and researchers are hoping that NASA will send a robot up there to investigate.

A stitched up photo from NASA of the surface of Mars.
NASA

The lava tubes are volcanic caverns that were first created as a result of fast moving basaltic lava flows. Because gravity on the planet is about 38 percent of what it is on earth, the tunnels and caves are usually much larger than any that you would find on our planet.

The longest and deepest one that has been discovered on Earth is the Kazamura Cave in Hawaii, which is 65.5 kilometers (40.7 mi) long.

The surface of the planet is particularly unwelcoming, in fact, lots of it could kill you easily. It is oxygen starved and is blasted on the regular with unfiltered solar radiation, meaning that anyone who dares to explore will 100 percent put their life at risk.

It would be nearly impossible for people to live on it, but its underground safe havens could provide the sheltered for at least some form of life to have lived on it once.

In February, at the third interplanetary conference in Texas US, a team of academics set out their mission.

American scientist Charity Phillips-Lander said: "If life exists there it will probably be best maintained in the sub-surface."

The Marias Pass contact zone.
NASA

On Mars, the unique tubes may provide a shelter for live, or at least some sort of evidence of microbial life that once existed there in the past.

It would also be a place to find records of other geological activity.

Author Sid Perkins is a science journalist. He specialises in Earth Sciences, but also writes about planetary sciences.

As reported by science site, phys.org, he wrote on article on the suitability of Mars' lava tubes for exploration on life on the planet.

He wrote: "If Mars ever hosted life, it may have moved into such refugia as the planet evolved and surface conditions became increasingly harsh."

This a classic 1997 panorama from the mast of NASA's Mars Pathfinder lander includes
This a classic 1997 panorama from the mast of NASA's Mars Pathfinder lander includes

Backing up his ideas, Pascal Lee, a planetary researcher at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, wrote: "On Mars and other places, lava tubes have the potential to have made the difference between life and death."

The next Mission to Mars will take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station between 31 July and 15 August.

Featured Image Credit: NASA

Topics: Science, space