And the probe spotted it on Mars. It’s like a “purple mermaid.”

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released images of the “purple siren” captured by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter on the surface of Mars. The unusual formation occurred in the Terra Sirenum area. Scientists know what could have created it.

“This is just an optical illusion – there are no mermaids or mythical seas on Mars,” the European Space Agency said in a statement. “Mars is a desert world that was covered with rivers, lakes and possibly oceans around 3.5 billion years ago.” It added that the cold period began on the Red Planet when “it lost its magnetic field and was no longer able to maintain its atmosphere, causing water to evaporate, freeze or become trapped on the surface.”

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, thanks to advanced cameras operating in different electromagnetic bands, in particular cameras such as the Color and Stereoscopic Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS), discovered an unusual purple formation on the surface of Mars. The rover spotted it in 2022 in a dry riverbed in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars, located in the planet’s southern hemisphere. According to the researchers, the formation was caused by the deposition of sodium chloride.

The “purple siren” isn’t the only interesting discovery made by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. One of the rover’s most impressive discoveries is that it has provided evidence of large amounts of iron, magnesium, and aluminum in the Maurth Vallis on Mars.

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The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter also helped discover a previously unseen green glow on Mars, caused by oxygen emissions. Scientists had predicted for years that a similar phenomenon might occur on Mars, but it was only thanks to this probe that they were able to observe it. The green glow is the result of carbon dioxide breaking down into oxygen under the influence of solar radiation. These observations represent an important step in our understanding of atomic and quantum physics and allow us to better understand the atmosphere of the Red Planet.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission has provided scientists with a wealth of valuable information about Mars. Thanks to the data obtained by this probe, new elements have been discovered on the planet’s surface, as well as atmospheric phenomena that were previously theorized. These discoveries are an important element in further research and preparations for future missions to Mars, and help us better understand our red planet.