Earlier this month, NASA spotted a deep circular pit in the Martian south pole, a subterranean feature that some astrobiologists believe could have once harbored life — or might even do so today.
The Martian surface is a ruthless, uninviting place for life. Its surface is incessantly pummeled with life-destroying radiation — a double whammy of harmful rays from both our sun and deadly pulses from the greater universe. And on summer nights, the planet’s temperature still dips well below -100 degrees Fahrenheit. But the Martian underworld might provide a safe haven for microbial life to flourish, perhaps as slimy colonies on cave walls, just like those on Earth.
Dr. Penny Boston, director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, thinks that the Martian underworld is “the last best place” to look for potential life on Mars — an idea she first proposed in 1992.
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