ACADEMICS are seeking to shed light about on life on Mars by exploring similar environments on Earth - including a potash and salt mine in North Yorkshire.

Ahead of the ExoMars rover being launched on a seven-month journey to the second smallest planet in the solar system in 2020, scientists are examining one metre-wide polygonal shapes found on rocks which formed 250 million years ago, 1km below the surface at Boulby, on the North York Moors.

Due to Mars’ similarities to earth, scientists have speculated for centuries about the possibility of life there.

Such has been the interest in possible forms of life on the planet, Martians have appeared in numerous movies and books.

The mine, which has also hosted exploratory work for dark matter in the universe and cosmic rays, is one of a few facilities world-wide suitable for deep underground science projects.

A University of Leicester team is working at the mine with the UK Space Agency in temperatures of about 30 degrees celsius to determine how to concentrate the rover’s efforts in the search for signs of Martian life.

The scientists are developing a camera system for one of the rover’s analytical instruments - a device called a Raman Laser Spectrometer - which will be used to investigate the geology of the planet and search for signs of extinct or existing life.

They are also studying various types of samples at Boulby, recovered from the polygonal deposits, similar to ones observed on the planet. It is thought the rims of the polygons, which formed when salt expanded as a sea in the area dried out, contain clay, iron and organics, and could once have supported life.

Astronomer Peter Edwards said: “Parts of Mars are quite similar to the salty environment deep underground at Boulby. In these areas we see polygons marked out in the ground similar in some ways to the Giants Causeway on Mars. Underground we can see these same polygons on the ceiling and walls of tunnels.

“Salty environments are typically hostile to life, but certain types of micro-organisms can adapt to these hostile conditions, we call these halophiles. By investigating the difference between the dark outer edges of these polygons compared with the lighter inside we can work out where to direct rovers on Mars when searching for life in these similar conditions.

“Further work with the data from the mine and samples recovered from the mine will allow us to investigate them in much greater detail helping us to plan the targets for future missions to Mars.”