Sometimes, salt deposits on Mars seem to smile back at you,” the ESA said. It’s no secret that researchers have long tried to find signs of life on the Red Planet and beyond. New evidence, including these images of Mars’ “aqueous past,

Newly released images of Mars reveal a "smiley" salt deposit on the Red Planet's surface. A related study suggests that similar deposits, which were left behind from ancient lakes, may be a good place to look for signs of former life on Mars.

Scientists suggest the salt deposits could house ancient bacteria from an era when Mars may have had an environment conducive to life. In 2028, the ESA and NASA will launch the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover to drill deep below the Martian surface to search for remnants of microbial life .

A ‘smiley face’ spotted on Mars could be the key to extraterrestrial life (Picture: ESA) A ‘smiley face’ has been discovered on Mars- and scientists sat it could contain t