Results from a new study show that the water-rich iron mineral ferrihydrite may be the main pigment behind Mars’ reddish dust.

Humans have been training telescopes on Mars for hundreds of years and gazing up at it for thousands. Despite the fact that scientists have now sent more spacecraft to Mars than any other extraterrestrial planet,

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.