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Finding water on Mars might be a bit of a challenge, but if you want to find ice you need look no further than the Martian poles.

Here there is an abundant source of carbon dioxide ice that exists for most of the year.

And in stunning images from Nasa the ice can be seen forming some bizarre and familiar shapes - in this case a 'happy face' on the surface.

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Sharp-eyed NAsa researchers have spotted a 'face' on Mars. They noticed the eyes, nose and upturned mouth shapes at one of many monitoring sites at the South pole residual cap (SPRC). Images are taken throughout the Martian year to document changes in carbon dioxide ice coverage

The image was captured by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been in orbit around the red planet since 10 March 2006.

Researchers noticed the face-like feature at one of many monitoring sites at the South Pole residual cap (SPRC) on Mars.

This is a region where carbon dioxide ice can be seen shifting throughout the year as the Martian climate changes.

The face appears to have a mount, nose and even an upturned mouth to denote a smile.

In the image the face is approximately 1,640ft (500m) across.

The features highlight different levels of elevation, and also different ice densities, on the surface.

Towards the edge of the face the dark areas show steep cliffs that descent from the top of this raised area to the ground below. 

NASA snaps a 'smiley face' on Mars's polar ice cap

The image shows a popular spot where one of the features resembles a smiley face that is approximately 1,640ft (500m) across. The planetary feature was captured by HiRISE, one of six instruments on Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In this zoomed-out image a 'rabbit' can also be seen to the right of the face

Carbon dioxide ice is common at the Martian poles, where temperatures are cold enough for it to exist. 

Away from the poles, however, ice is harder to find on the surface as it quickly evaporates onto the atmosphere.

'Images are taken throughout the Martian year to document changes in carbon dioxide ice coverage,' Nasa's Tre Gibbs said in a video.

'This image shows a popular spot where one of the features represents a smiley face that is approximately 500 metres across.

'If you smile at Mars, sometimes it smiles back.'

The image was captured by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (illustration shown), which has been in orbit around the red planet since 10 March 2006

On the red planet, one of the most famous cases of pareidolia is the 'face on Mars' spotted by one of the Viking orbiters in 1976 (shown left). This was later proven to just be a chance alignment of shifting sand dunes (right)