‘Smiley’ face discovered on Mars could hint at life on the red planet

Wouldn’t you be happy too?

The European Space Agency has found a “smiling” face on the surface of Mars – and the cheerful pattern could be a sign of life on the bright red spot.

The purple color, seen by ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, evokes a smile — or perhaps a still face — and is made from ancient chloride salt deposits around the craters, the agency announced on Instagram.

“Once a world of rivers, lakes and possibly oceans, Mars now reveals its secrets through deposits of chloride salt,” the ESA wrote. “These deposits, remnants of ancient bodies of water, may indicate habitable areas from billions of years ago.”

Space photos serve a greater purpose beyond solar system art. They are part of an August study that mapped nearly 1,000 salt deposits on Elon Musk’s favorite planet.

While the scale of the smiley face is not yet known, the range for all structures is between 1,000 and 10,000 feet wide, the ratio in Scientific data notes.

And, they “may provide optimal conditions for biological activity and preservation,” making them “a prime target for astrobiological exploration,” according to the research team.

ESA planetary scientist Valentin Bickel added that the presence of salt deposits, due to their solubility in water, “are markers for Mars’ early watery past and may indicate the last time a region was covered by water”.

“The new data have important implications for our understanding of water distribution on early Mars, as well as its past climate and habitability,” he said.

Most likely, the salt deposits were formed from a “shallow pool of water or brine” that had evaporated in sunlight, according to Valentin.

“Humans use a similar method to produce salt for human consumption in saltwater pools on Earth,” the scientist noted.

For now, though, the pundits are perfectly fine wearing the latest data with a smile.

“Sometimes, the salt deposits on Mars seem to smile at you,” the ESA added.