Mars’ red color may be related to a habitable past: study

Mars’ red color may be related to a habitable past: study

The Red Planet may have had an abundance of water billions of years ago

Mars' distinctive red color comes from the mineral ferrihydrite, which only forms in the presence of cool water, a new study claims. (AFP via Getty Images)

In this handout released by NASA, a Mars landscape is seen in a photo taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in 2003. (NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Cornell University via Getty Images)

Lab sample of simulated Mars dust. (NASA/Adam Valantinas)