New gravity map sheds light on Mars' mysterious interiors

NASA has spent years sending spacecraft and rovers to Mars in an effort to unlock some of the planet's mysteries, and those efforts have paid off in a number of ways.

Among them is the recent completion of a new, highly detailed gravity map.

Antonio Genova, author of the paper describing the achievement, commented, "Gravity maps allow us to see inside a planet, just as a doctor uses an X-ray to see inside a patient."

See images of ExoMars spacecraft heading out in search for life on Mars:

This particular one has resulted in a number of insights into the workings of Mars.

Among the fascinating finds is the confirmation that the outer core of the Red Planet is liquid and made of molten rock.

Scientists also determined that the seasonal formation of ice caps on the north and south poles involves the freezing of 3 to 4 trillion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Creating the map required years of analysis and included 16 years worth of data.