Mars had water before life existed on Earth, a new study suggests.

We all know that Mars had water on it at some point in its life, but what is unclear is when water formation occurred and exactly when it evaporated from the surface of Mars. A new study has revealed that Mars had water on its surface nearly 4.4 billion years ago. It is much sooner than previously expected.

Base of the new study on Mars

The new Mars study is based on detailed analysis of a meteorite called NWA 7533. It was found in the Sahara Desert and was believed to have Martian origins dating back billions of years into the past. The presence of water has been indicated by some oxidized minerals within the meteorite. The results of the new study may push back the previously predicted period of water formation by nearly 700 million years, from the period of 3.7 billion years before that was generally accepted until today. It can also offer some insight into how planets form.

Planetary scientist Takashi Mikouchi of the University of Tokyo in Japan says: “I studied the minerals in the meteorites of Mars to know how the planet was formed and its crust and mantle evolved.” This is the first time I’ve explored this specific meteorite, nicknamed “Black Beauty” for its dull tone. Our NWA 7533 examples were exposed to four different types of spectroscopic examination, methods for recognizing compound fingerprints. The results prompted our group to reach some energizing conclusions. “

Planetary scientists are exclusively fascinated by the stories of water about planets and moons. A great mystery they face is whether water formation occurs during planet formation or if it is added to a planet due to collisions with other cosmic entities. The new study was guided by oxidized minerals in knowing that water existed on Mars. Some fragments within NWA 7533 date back to 4.4 billion years ago. It made the record one of the oldest we have of Mars.

The discovery of water means that life also existed

Mikouchi says: “The igneous clasts, or fragmented rock, within NWA 7533 originated from magma and are usually caused by collisions and oxidation. The oxidation itself may have been caused by the presence of water on or within the Martian crust 4.4 billion years earlier during a cosmic collision that caused part of it to melt. “Indicates that Mars formed in the presence of water and may help understand the general planetary formation.

Water carries life with it and is why scientists are so curious to find it in the Universe. We are already aware that the first years of life existed on our planet almost 3.5 billion years ago. Scientists continue to observe and study the Red Planet closely and try to understand when water formed on it and where exactly it went. A recent study indicated that both the solid and liquid forms of water may have coexisted on the Red Planet.

The study results also point out that Mars’ current chemical makeup has high levels of hydrogen. It means that the planet may have warmed due to this hydrogen which caused the water to melt and possibly led to the existence of life. This study was published in Advances in science.