With new data coming in from Mars, scientists have a new theory about why the planet is red. What does this mean for whether Mars once supported life?

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.

Martian dust is mostly rust. Mars’s famed color has captivated humankind for centuries, earning its nickname of the ‘Red Planet’. Romans named Mars for their god of war because its colour was reminiscent of blood, while Egyptians called it ‘Her Desher’, meaning ‘the red one.’ CREDIT: A.Valantinas.

A new study suggests the iron oxide responsible for the red planet's distinctive hue is ferrihydrite, pointing to the bygone presence of water, an important ingredient for life

Mars is covered in a fine dust that’s rich in iron oxides. You might know these compounds better as rust, the same stuff that forms when you leave an old bicycle out in the rain too long. On Earth, rust is a sign of decay,

The fundamental question of why Mars is red has been considered for hundreds if not for thousands of years,” Adam Valantinas, a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, declared.

That is, iron bound up in Mars's rocks has at some point reacted with liquid water, or water and oxygen in the air, similar to how rust forms on Earth. Over billions of years, this rusty material—iron oxide—has been broken down into dust and spread all ...

The Red Planet, as it’s often called, has a distinct hue, and a new theory about this coloration could have implications for our understanding of Mars' evolution.

Mars has been red for millions of years longer than previously thought, suggests new research. The study has "transformed" understanding of how the "r ed planet " developed its distinct hue, say American scientists. Previous research revealed that the red color is due to rusted iron minerals in the dust.

Scientists might have been wrong about perhaps the most obvious thing about Mars: the red colour behind its nickname Earthlings have known about the existence of Mars, the fourth planet from the sun it also orbits, since ancient times.

For centuries, the Red Planet’s signature hue has fascinated scientists, but the real reason behind its color may be different than we once thought. A groundbreaking study suggests that Mars’ redness isn’t due to dry,