‘Black Beauty’ zircons record ancient Mars climate

Was Mars — now a cold, dry place — once a warm, wet planet that sustained life? And if so, how long has it been cold and dry? … By analyzing the chemical clues locked inside an ancient Martian meteorite known as Black Beauty, Florida State University Professor Munir Humayun and an international research team are revealing the story of Mars’ ancient, and sometimes startling, climate history. The team’s most recent finding of a dramatic climate change appeared in Nature Geoscience… [More at links]