The Acidalia Planitia, the darker region towards the top right of this image of Mars, may host bacteria deep beneath the surface rocks
NASA/JPL/USGS
A specific area on Mars has been identified as a potential location for current life – with the organisms living far beneath the surface.
Andrea Butturini at the University of Barcelona in Spain and his colleagues investigated possible locations on Mars that could host life. They focused on areas that might have the right amounts of water, heat and energy necessary for life to exist.