Online retailer Groupon offers 49 per cent off an acre of land - on planet Mars

An acre of land on Mars is currently retailing at £9.99, according to Groupon, down from £19.72.

The "Martian land package" includes a Mars deed with the owner’s name added, a Mars map with the location of the land indicated, a NASA report on Mars exploration, a space exploration infographic a "journey to Mars boarding pass", a cool facts about Mars ebook and a Mars photo ebook.

More than 70 people have already bought the "deal".

Mars is 57.6 million kilometres from earth at its closest.

Groupon directs would be land prospectors to the website www.buyplanetmars.com.

The website describes the product as an "Amazing Gift for the Earthling with Everything" which is "Loved by Celebrities Across the Universe."

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law.

Among the Outer Space Treaty's main points are that it prohibits the placing of nuclear weapons in space, it limits the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes only, and establishes that space shall be free for exploration and use by all nations, but that no nation may claim sovereignty of outer space or any celestial body.

Despite this, several online sites offer land for sale on both the Moon and Mars.

Groupon is an American global e-commerce marketplace based in Chicago connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services in 15 countries.