AMHERST, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have helped identify a new mineral on Mars giving more insight into possible life on the planet.

The mineral’s called ferric hydroxysulfate. Researchers found it’s formed at temperatures between 120 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. In an acidic environment with the presence of oxygen and water.

Researchers concluded the mineral formed during the Amazonian period, less than 3,000,000,000 years ago through geothermal heat, or volcanic heating by ash or lava.

According to the UMass researchers, this all points to the red planet being chemically and thermally active more recently than previously known.

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