A group of seventh graders in California spotted a previously unknown cave on Mars when they were observing images captured by a NASA spacecraft, reported Space.com on Monday.
The 16 students from Evergreen Middle School were involved in a program offered at Arizona State University where students propose research questions and then “commission a Mars-orbiting camera to take an image to answer their question,” said Space.com in their report.
While looking for the most common locations of lava tubes on Mars, which are formed when molten lava withdraws from its distributing tunnel. The students found a round and black spot on the surface of the planet.
Glen Cushing, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist, said the hole is likely where a part of the roof of a cave or a lava tube collapsed.
The structure likely formed when a volcano finished erupting and was then covered with a layer of cooled rock on top. The ceiling may have collapsed as a result, making an opening in the buried cave. The cave is believed to be associated with the volcano Pavonis Mons.
Cushing estimated that the pit is about 620 by 520 feet wide and 380 feet deep.
The pictures were taken by a Mars Odyssey orbiter using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS).
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