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Space

Life on Mars could be surviving in an area deep underground

The Acidalia Planitia region of the Red Planet might have all the requirements for methane-burping bacteria to exist beneath the surface

By Jonathan O’Callaghan

29 November 2024

Image of Mars showing the Acidalia Planitia as a darker region towards the top right

The Acidalia Planitia, the darker region towards the top right of this image of Mars, may host bacteria deep beneath its rocky surface

NASA/JPL/USGS

A specific area on Mars has been identified as a potential location for current life – with the organisms living far beneath the surface.

Andrea Butturini at the University of Barcelona and his colleagues investigated possible locations on Mars that could host living organisms, focusing on areas that might have the right amounts of water, heat and energy necessary for life to exist.

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