Scientists analyzing the 'Black Beauty' meteorite have discovered a zircon grain that hints at hydrothermal systems on early Mars.

By James WoodfordCrystals inside a Martian meteorite hint that there may have been plentiful hot water on Mars when the rock formed 4.45 billion years ago.The rock, nicknamed Black Beauty, was blasted into space by an impact on the surface of Mars before ultimately crashing into the Sahara desert.

New Curtin University-led research has uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars, revealing the planet may have been habitable at some point in its past.

Researchers have uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars, suggesting the red planet could have supported life billions of years ago. Scientists at Australia’s Curtin University made the discovery while studying a famous Martian meteorite — nicknamed “Black Beauty” — that was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011.