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.

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

Curtin University scientists discover 4.45-billion-year-old evidence of water activity on Mars, hinting at early habitability.