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NASA Scientists Find Mystery Holes on Mars’ Surface

Scientists say they are “unlike quite anything we have seen.”

NASA has found a series of mystery holes on Mars. The Curiosity rover was traveling down the broad Valle Grande when it found the unusual divots in the surface of the red planet. Holes on a planet being peppered by space debris are to be expected. However, how these particular pockmarks formed has left scientists scratching their heads, because they are “unlike quite anything we have seen in the past,” Dr. Michelle Minitti said in a blog post. The MAHLI Deputy Principal Investigator added that “after Curiosity’s 14 years on the surface, Mars continues to surprise.” She continued, “The pits of this week were much broader and shallower than past features and were not accompanied by obvious objects that were once in the pits.” The rover used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to take close-range photos, while Mastcam captured overlapping images of the nearby terrain. Together, they will allow NASA to create 3D images of the holes.