Awesome! PM me if you ever actually get an answer. However, like I said, I don't believe it is [u][i]the Mars that we know[/i][/u]. I understand it may have been easy to overlook when I said that because it was slightly cryptic. [spoiler] Remember the fight with Atheon? How he transports you to 'Mars' and 'Venus'? It's not Mars and Venus, they are the same planet though, different periods in time. (Which you may have known.) It is quite possible that the Black Garden is nestled inside of Olympus Mons and the giant rock in the center being the Devil's Postpile. I remember quite a while ago, someone from NASA with a degree in Geology noted the similarities. The reason I brought up it not being the Mars that we know... Well, it is likely that it exists out of the guardians time and dimension. The Vex came from somewhere else entirely, as did the Traveler. So is it not likely that it isn't Mars, instead being a variation of Mars through time? That would ultimately mean that whilst it is still technically Mars, it is not what we have come to know and could be a drastically different and fuller reality for the red planet. Almost a B side that was never released where life did truly flourish and the rivers didn't dry. [/spoiler] Also, https://m.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/2hoffq/theory_on_the_black_gardens_location/ So there's an argument for both for you. =) Then also.... [spoiler]It could just be a simulation.[/spoiler]