A giant dark spot on Mars has been expanding for 50 years

For decades, a large dark patch on the surface of Mars has been observed expanding, and the reasons for this remain unclear.

Live Science reports on this.

The dark region was first detected by the Viking spacecraft back in 1976. New images confirm that the spot is gradually growing and has already shifted by approximately 320 kilometers.

The feature is located on the Utopia Planitia—one of the largest plains on Mars. It is believed to consist of volcanic ash and minerals left over from ancient eruptions.

Researchers estimate that the dark area may be expanding by several kilometers each year.

Possible explanations include the influence of Martian winds, which either carry the ash or blow away the lighter dust, exposing darker layers of the surface.

However, none of the hypotheses has been definitively confirmed yet.

NASA celebrates the successful return of the Artemis II crew after their historic mission.

We also reported that NASA launched Artemis II: the first crewed flight to the Moon in 50 years.