By Tim Binnall
The European Space Agency recently snapped a photo of a strange 'smiley face' on the surface of Mars. Posted on ESA's Instagram account last week, the odd image was captured by their ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter as part of an exhaustive study of "chloride salt deposits" spread across the Red Planet. Sporting a pair of craters for 'eyes' and a nearly perfect circular 'head,' the funky face is all that remains of a lake that once existed on Mars billions of years ago. The agency went on to explain that their study of such deposits, of which they have looked at "nearly a thousand," allows for a great understanding of the potential for life existing on the Red Planet in ancient times.