Scientists have discovered an area on Mars that is ideal for alien life.
An area of Mars could be home to alien life
Experts have identified a 1,800-mile-wide region on the Red Planet - called Acidalia Planita - which contains perfect levels of water, heat and energy in the soil for extraterrestrial bacteria to thrive.
The next task is to drill into the surface of Mars to see if alien life does truly exist there but this would require researchers to dig miles below the planet - a feat that needs major crewed missions and technologies that are unlikely to be available for several years to come.
However, the discovery does bring boffins closer to finding proof of life beyond the Earth by zeroing in on a specific location.
Andrea Butturini, who led the research for the University of Barcelona, said: "(It is) a promising target area for future missions in the search for extant life in Mars' subsurface."