Compelling evidence has emerged suggesting that a huge reservoir of liquid water has been found under the ice, near the South Pole on Mars. The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter captured radar measurements and spotted a 20 kilometer-wide stretch of water in the region, known as Planum Australe. 

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It's the first time in history, that scientists have identified a stable body of water on Mars and they suggest that there's a good chance microbial life may have existed thanks to this lake. 

The planet's climate has been called inhabitable due to its thin atmosphere, which resulted in leaving most of the water locked up in ice. Scientists have been searching for signs of present-day water on Mars, but their search has often resulted in empty or ambiguous findings. 

This latest discovery was possible, because researchers in Italy analysed three years of data by something called the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (Marsis).

 "It's probably not a very large lake," said Prof Roberto Orosei from the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, who led the study. Marsis was not able to identify the thickness of the layer of water, but research suggests that it is a minimum of one meter. 

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"This really qualifies this as a body of water. A lake, not some kind of meltwater filling some space between rock and ice, as happens in certain glaciers on Earth," Prof Orosei added.

Marsis is a form of a radar instrument, that examines the surface and subsurface of a planet by sending out signals. The instrument then examines what is bounced back and in this case, a white line at the top of the radar suggested the beginning of the South Polar Layered Deposit.

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As of now, there is no certainty whether the discovered lake is ideal for life, however, the liquid could potentially support microbes that have adapted salt water. 

The water is also far under the surface of Mars which presents a problem for life as of today. The surface is also exposed to intense radiation which basically is inhabitable for life. 

Having said that, experts have said that as long as there is an energy source or a source of nutrients or raw materials, life is possible on the red planet.