Hm, a new paper suggests Mars redness comes from ferrihydrite (Fe5O8H nH2O), not hematite (Fe2O3). If true, this suggests that Mars was once a water world and likely had an oxygen rich atmosphere raising the possibly of ancient life on the planet before most of its atmosphere was blown away by solar radiation.
Dr. Becky explains in this ten minute video:
https://youtu.be/4_DsX-1-q1E?feature=shared&t=166
#Astronomy #Mars