‘Mars is not red’: New research suggests a surprising origin for its color
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Rusty Surprise
Mars turned red from water-induced oxidation, not dry hematite rusting—rewriting planetary history.
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Watery Past
New findings suggest Mars rusted while still wet, shifting timelines for its ancient lakes and rivers.
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Meteorite Clues
A Martian meteorite on Earth helped confirm that ferrihydrite, not hematite, tinted Mars red.
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Grinding Proof
Scientists pulverized iron minerals to Martian dust size, proving ferrihydrite’s role in Mars’ color.
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Dusty Deception
Mars’ red dust lacked signs of water, leading scientists to a false hematite theory for decades.
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Ancient Chemistry
Ferrihydrite forms rapidly in cool water, implying Mars’ oxidation happened much earlier than believed.
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Orbiting Evidence
Spacecraft data helped confirm ferrihydrite’s presence, altering our view of Mars’ wet history.
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Red Planet Rethink
Mars didn’t just dry out—its signature rust formed in a way that preserves water’s ancient mark.
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Sample Revelation
Future Mars samples will finally confirm how much ferrihydrite exists—and if life once thrived.
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