There's a Dome Building on Mars… Maybe.

The concept of ‘life on Mars’ never fails to intrigue. Now, space buffs are maintaining that they’ve finally uncovered proof that the Red Planet once hosted an ancient Martian civilisation. The claim comes in the wake of the discovery of a massive dome that looks uncannily ‘man-made.’ Ever since NASA found evidence of water back in September, alien enthusiasts have been clutching at straws to prove the existence of extra-terrestrial life.

Proof that aliens do exist

Their latest infatuation is a huge, metallic coloured dome that sits in the midst of the Red Planet’s barren landscape. They tracked down the mysterious structure by trawling through official NASA photographs snapped by robots searching for signs of extra-terrestrial life. According to ‘UFOlogists’ the structure simply can’t be natural. Instead, they maintain that it’s the remains of alien life that once existed on the planet. Alien aficionado David Gannet was the first to publish the photograph, posting it to his Facebook account. It was quickly picked up by Mars Moon Space Photo Zoom Club, which described the find as "smoking gun" evidence.

Conspiracy group Unsilent Majority also picked up on the find, stating “It is obvious that the mysterious dome is not like the surrounding terrain and that it really stands out in the image. It could be that this structure is a part of an ancient one, built by those who inhabited Mars in the past. Such pieces of evidence should not be ignored."

A trail of evidence

The giant dome isn’t the first find to get alien believers all fired up. It follows the discovery of a pyramid-esque structure embedded with a face carving, as well as a series of photographs appearing to show faces, figures and other lifelike forms.

If Mars was once home to water, could it have housed oceans? If so, studies into its marine life will undoubtedly be on the cards. Already scientists are delving into the mysteries of earth’s marine matter, with articles such as ‘Electron Microscopy Reveals Secrets of Nanocrystal-Assembly in Coral Skeletons’ offering readers a glimpse at the latest developments. While corals thrive underwater, they are one of the most important examples of mineral forming organisms. They play a central roles in the marine ecology system, hosting 25% of marine livestock. The article explores the mechanical stability of coral colonies, and how relationships between growth conditions such as chemical composition of seawater, pH value and the temperature affect development.

Image via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Moyan Brenn