Researchers find a new indication of extraterrestrial life on Mars.

Researchers may have found evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. They discovered a plain in the northern hemisphere that is 1,800 miles wide and contains the ideal subsurface conditions for life. The area, known as Acidalia Planitia, has soil that has precisely the correct amounts of heat, water, and energy for alien microorganisms to flourish.

Drilling into the Martian surface to see whether life has actually emerged there is the next step. The researchers, led by Andrea Butturini of the University of Barcelona, noted that "[It is] a promising target area for future missions in the search for extant life in Mars' subsurface."

However, scientists would need to delve miles beneath the Red Planet. Major crewed missions and technologies would be needed for this. that probably won't be possible for years to come. However, by focussing on a potential site for microbial life, this work advances scientists' search for conclusive evidence of life beyond Earth.

Furthermore, it establishes the foundation for further research that may resolve a "tense debate" on the existence of methane in the atmosphere of the Red Planet. This is because methanogens, or bacteria that produce methane, are the extraterrestrial life forms that the researchers think might reside beneath Acidalia Planitia.

Extremophiles, or bacteria that flourish in harsh environments like extremely high temperatures, extremely saline water, or even high radiation levels, are what methanogens are. On Earth, methanogens are mostly found in marshes and swamps, although they can also be discovered in termites' and cows' stomachs.

as well as in dead and decomposing organic debris, and other herbivores. Since these microbes are anaerobic, oxygen is not necessary for their survival. They may also live without sunlight or organic nutrients.

Previously known as the ExoMars rover, the Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled to be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2028. A drill capable of excavating about seven feet into the Martian surface will be part of this.

However, Butturini and his colleagues found a possibly habitable depth that is far deeper than that. Because of the extremely low pressure and extremely frigid temperatures, even extremophiles cannot thrive on the Martian surface.

However, beneath the surface, heat and chemical energy are produced by the radioactive decay of materials like thorium, a radioactive metal. Furthermore, the Red Planet contains water that was formerly part of ancient oceans.

Bacterial life could be supported by these conditions, but probably only five miles below the surface. Butturini, a biogeochemist at the University of Barcelona, and his associates identified areas where a plentiful supply of thorium may supply the energy necessary for life by using data from Mars orbiters.

The distribution of subsurface ice that had previously been mapped by missions like the Chinese Zhurong rover was then compared with this data. The most robust target location is the southern Acidalia Planitia at mid latitude,' according to this research, which is situated close to a zone of clay and carbonate deposits with proof of groundwater activity

The average temperature at this underground location is between 32 to 50°F, which is greater than the surface temperature. This implies that the Martian soil might be infused with liquid water. Additionally, bacterial life can flourish anywhere there is liquid water.

The study has not yet been examined by other scientists, as the results are now accessible on the pre-print service arXiv. However, the scientific world is already taking notice of the findings since it offers a precise area to concentrate the search for extraterrestrial life.

"The southern subsurface of Acidalia Planitia is a putative target region for hosting cold-adapted methanogens that resemble Methanosarcinaceae and/or Methanomicrobiaceae," the report states.

"Subsurface water and radiogenic heat-producing materials are most prevalent in this area is likely. In addition to the revolutionary finding of extraterrestrial life on Mars, if the researchers' proposal turns out to be accurate, it would also obliquely demonstrate that biologically created methane is present in the Martian atmosphere.

Since 1999, there have been sporadic reports of methane being detected in the Martian atmosphere. The global averages for methane concentrations, as shown by these data, range from five to 33 parts per billion-volume.

In particular, the difference in measurements from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and NASA's Curiosity rover. The ExoMars orbiter has not found methane in the Martian atmosphere, but Curiosity has. The scientific community is engaged in a contentious discussion about this.

It would be very likely to find methanogens residing beneath Mars' surface. would imply that methane produced at least in part by microbial activities is present in the Red Planet's atmosphere.

Methane is a byproduct of the metabolism of methanogens. On the other hand, non-biological processes like hydrothermal or volcanic activity may be the source of atmospheric methane. Alternatively, it might not exist at all.