Mars’s red dust may contain ferrihydrite, an iron mineral that forms in water. This suggests ancient Mars had water for longer than believed.

Vincent Chevrier, associate research professor at the University of Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, is part of an international team of researchers arguing that Mars gets its reddish hue not from hematite,

A study suggests Mars takes its red hue from a type of mineral that forms in cool water, which could reveal insights about whether Mars was ever able to support life.

Mars’s red dust may contain ferrihydrite, an iron mineral that forms in water. This suggests ancient Mars had water for longer than believed.

A new study may have revealed the true source behind how the Red Planet got its hue. It’s been long thought that Mars shines red due to the rusted iron minerals within the dust that covers the planet — but a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications suggests otherwise.