A ‘smiley face’ has been discovered on Mars- and scientists sat it could contain traces of extraterrestrial life. The face, composed of two circles and a line inside a circle, can only be seen under infrared light and is thought to be the remnants of an ancient lake which dried up billions of years ago.

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' has been discovered on the surface of Mars and scientists say this could show indicators of life on the planet. It can only be seen using infrared technology but it is the remnant of an ancient lake that dried up billions of years ago.