Photographs give thrilled scientists amazing view of life on Mars

SCIENTISTS marvelled at crisp photographs of the surface of Mars while the NASA rover that snapped them switched from black-and-white to colour as it continued to send back images of the pancake-flat plain where it landed.

NASA last night released the initial batch of colour photos the first from the surface of Mars in seven years. NASA began receiving its second batch of black-and-white pictures from its Spirit rover late on Sunday.

The new images showed further details of what scientists believe is the rocky bed of an ancient lake that may have once harboured life.