{"id":142968,"date":"2025-11-16T14:19:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T14:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/142968\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T14:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T14:19:44","slug":"human-tongue-shaped-object-found-on-mars-esa-discovers-horseshoe-shaped-channel-at-mars-mountain-three-times-taller-than-everest-and-pinpoints-ancient-water-flow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/142968\/","title":{"rendered":"Human-tongue-shaped object found on Mars? ESA discovers horseshoe-shaped channel at Mars\u2019 mountain three times taller than Everest and pinpoints ancient water flow"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released striking new images that peel back the layers of Mars\u2019 most colossal giant, Olympus Mons<\/a>, a volcano so immense it rises 26 km high or around three times as tall as Mount Everest, with a base stretching over 600 km. But beyond its sheer size, the latest views reveal something far more intriguing: frozen \u201clava tongues\u201d winding down its slopes, a mysterious horseshoe-shaped channel carved into the plains below, and what may be the exact route where water once flowed at the volcano\u2019s feet. <\/p>\n

Also Read: 3I\/ATLAS\u2019s terrifying speed captured from Mars\u2019 surface? Astrophotographer claims to spot ‘faint smudge of light’ in rover images<\/a><\/p>\n

A poet would have described it as a tongue that became a solid rock after being too thrusty for years, probably millions. But in reality it’s just a rock made from solidified lava that may have carried water into the martian surface, as per ESA. Captured by ESA\u2019s Mars Express orbiter<\/a>, the images offer the clearest look yet at the volcanic and possibly hydrological forces that shaped this alien terrain.
What ESA\u2019s Mars found on Olympus Mons\u2019 southeast flank
New images show a massive scarp, a sheer cliff up to 9 km tall, wrapping entirely around Olympus Mons. It was formed by ancient mega-landslides that pushed debris hundreds of kilometers across the Martian plains.
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Human-shaped object on Mars
The southeast flank reveals layered lava fields where molten rock once streamed downhill. These flows spread into fan-shaped deposits, cut channels, and formed tubes before cooling into solid rock. Some lava flows ended in smooth, rounded \u201ctongue-like\u201d shapes, showing where the molten material slowed and solidified before reaching the plains.
Also Read: Nearby star hurls plasma into space, astronomers capture it for the first time and it changes everything we know about life on other planets<\/a>
Horseshoe-shaped channel on Mars that may have carried water
A distinctive horseshoe-shaped depression in the lower plains may have once transported both lava and flowing water, hinting at a more complex hydrological past on Mars. \u201ca horseshoe-shaped channel may once have carried not only lava, but water,\u201d ESA\u2019s social media handle posted. The region contains only a few small craters, suggesting the terrain is geologically young, possibly tens of millions of years old, extremely recent in Mars\u2019 4.6-billion-year history.What is Olympus Mons
Olympus Mons was first discovered by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1971. Initially, scientists believed it to be a mountain, but subsequent missions revealed its true nature.<\/p>\n

It is believed that Olympus Mons was formed around 3.5 billion years ago, during Mars’ early geological period. The volcano is considered dormant, with no recent eruptions. Its gentle slopes and lack of impact craters suggest a relatively young surface, shaped by lava flows.<\/p>\n

Also Read: How your brain know when to breathe? Nobel-winning neuroscientist to map human\u2019s \u2018hidden sixth sense\u2019 linking brain and body<\/a><\/p>\n

What were earlier findings on Mars water?
Earlier, scientists analyzing data from NASA’s InSight mission discovered a vast underground reservoir of liquid water deep within the Martian crust. This water is trapped in tiny fissures and pores in the rock, extending to a depth of about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) below the surface. <\/p>\n

The findings suggest that there could be enough water to fill oceans on Mars’s surface, providing new insights into the planet’s ancient climate and geological history. Notably, this reservoir represents liquid water, not frozen ice, which increases the possibility that it could support microbial life beneath the surface, similar to underground habitats on Earth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The European Space Agency (ESA) has released striking new images that peel back the layers of Mars\u2019 most…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":142969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[82009,82007,82006,82008,61,60,82010,82012,82005,82011,82013,82004,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-142968","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-ancient-water-flow-mars","9":"tag-esa-mars-discoveries","10":"tag-human-tongue-shaped-object-found-on-mars","11":"tag-human-tongue-shaped-object-mars","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-lava-flows-on-mars","15":"tag-liquid-water-on-mars","16":"tag-mars-express-orbiter","17":"tag-mars-geology","18":"tag-mars-volcanic-activity","19":"tag-olympus-mons","20":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}