European Scientists Find Signs of Life on Mars
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released an image of an amazing winding purple formation on the surface of Mars, which reminded scientists of a mermaid.
It is reported by Spase.
The purple wave among the red, brown and grey colours of the Mars surface was recorded by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter during a flight in 2022.
According to the publication, the formation is located in a dried riverbed in the south of the planet, in a region called Terra Sirenum, which means "Sea of Sirens" in Latin.
"A purple scaly wave caught the eye of our spacecraft during the flight. This is just an optical illusion - there are no mythological mermaids or seas on Mars," ESA said.
It turned out that this purple anomaly is actually chloride salt deposits - this was determined thanks to the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System camera. It takes several pictures of the same place from different angles, which allows you to create a detailed 3D model of the terrain. This helps scientists better understand the topography and geological processes on Mars.
Chlorine-rich minerals give the wave its purple hue. They indicate that there was once water on Mars. Due to the lack of a magnetic field, the planet's atmosphere gradually dissipated, absorbing most of the water. As it disappeared, mineral deposits remained that can be seen today.
The remnants of salts may indicate that life once existed on Mars.