A special report:The glaciers found on Mars

The glaciers are thought to have been formed up to 100 million years ago
and are the “most dramatic” evidence yet of climate change on Mars.

The biggest of the glaciers are up to 13 miles long and more than 60 miles
wide and represent a potential source of water for astronauts on missions
to Mars. The climate on Mars was much colder because
the tilt of the axis on which the planet spins was much greater than it is now.

This allowed ice sheets to extend far beyond the polar regions and towards,
possibly even reaching, the Equator.

Huge glaciers up to half a mile thick have been discovered close to the
equator of Mars and are thought to be the remnants of an ice age on the
planet.

Hundreds of glaciers have been identified by researchers using
ground-penetrating radar that allows them to see through a rocky layer
of debris covering the ice.