Giant volcano 'hidden in plain sight' discovered on Mars, scientists say

Scientists say they have discovered a giant volcano hidden in plain sight on Mars. The volcano, temporarily named the Noctis, spans 280 miles wide and was discovered alongside a buried ice glacier to the east of Mars, near the red-planet's equator, scientists revealed at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in Texas on Wednesday. Scientists said the 29,600-foot-high volcano was active from ancient through recent times and with possible remnants of glacier ice near its base. They say its discovery points to an exciting new place to search for life and a potential destination for future robotic and human exploration. The findings were detailed in a new study by the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute based at NASA Ames Research Centre. Scientists have discovered a gigantic volcano on Mars that spans 280 miles wide and and nearly 30,000 feet high near the red-planet's equator, (NASA/USGS Mars globe.