Scientists have demonstrated a new theory about the source of Mars’s red color. Research shows that iron oxidine on the surface of Mars may have been formed by a different process than expected.

Scientists have published a new research that questioned the accepted theory about how the red color of Mars was formed. The formation process of iron oxida, which is spread to large areas on the surface of the planet, may be different from what it has been considered.

NEW FINDINGS Restore Mars’ water history

Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA think that iron oxid in Mars may have been influenced by liquid water in the past. So far, it was assumed that iron oxidine on the surface of Mars was largely hematitis and that it occurred as a result of interaction with the atmosphere in arid periods. However, new research has shown that the red dust on the surface of Mars has more overlap with the water -containing ferrihidritis mineral.

Scientists have created a precedent dust on the surface of Mars in the laboratory. In the experiments, the basalt mixture with Ferrihidritis, the planet with the observations of the most beautiful match was seen. Researchers said that this mineral may have been formed in periods where water has abundant water in the past. New findings provided valuable clues about the planet’s water history and possible traces of life.

In the coming period, this new theory will be examined in detail with the information coming from ESA’s Rosalind Franklin traveler and NASA-ESA MARS sample return tasks. NASA’s samples gathered by the Perseverance traveler and to be brought to the Earth will be analyzed to precisely determine the measure of ferrihidrite in Mars dust. Although it will take time to learn the full composition of the minerals on the surface of Mars, scientists said that they are approaching more clear information about the past of the planet with observations and laboratory studies from space.