This Mysterious Hole on Mars Could Be Key to Keeping Astronauts Alive There
ZME Science••science
Key Points:
- Scientists have discovered a mysterious pit on Mars in the Arsia Mons volcanic region, which may be a skylight leading to a network of lava tubes that could provide natural shelter for future human explorers from radiation and harsh conditions.
- Mars presents extreme environmental hazards, including low atmospheric pressure and high radiation levels, making underground habitats in lava tubes a promising alternative for protecting astronauts.
- The pit, about 178 meters deep, might either be a skylight to lava tubes or a cylindrical pit crater formed by volcanic rock collapse, similar to those found in Hawaii, but its exact nature remains uncertain.
- Research on Earth lava tubes shows they can preserve biosignatures, suggesting Martian lava tubes could protect fossilized evidence of past microbial life,
