The new images captured by the ExoMars spacecraft are truly astonishing, as they reveal what appears to be a gigantic tree stump, complete with visible growth rings.
However, unfortunately, this is not an image of extraterrestrial life as we might have hoped, according to Live Science.
The image was taken by the advanced CaSSIS camera system of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a spacecraft orbiting Mars. This mission is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.
The stump-shaped crater on Mars as seen from above. (Photo: ESA)
The recently revealed image was taken in the northern plains of Acidalia Planitia. Although it looks entirely like an alien tree stump from above, with clear growth rings similar to those of trees on Earth, it is actually just a water-rich impact crater.
Nonetheless, it remains a treasure for researchers at ESA and Roscosmos. These “growth rings”, although not actual growth rings and unrelated to the age of the structure, reveal events that have occurred on Mars, as these rings represent layers of sediment rich in water.
Analyzing these sediment layers not only uncovers the chemical composition of the Martian environment at various times but also reveals the planet’s tilt and rotational axis during those periods.
The planet’s weather during each stage is also marked by how materials expand or contract, creating ring-like patterns in the crater that profoundly reflect the environmental changes of the planet.
