Martian crater may once have held lake

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has found evidence that McLaughlin Crater once contained a lake fed by flowing groundwater.

Clays - signs of water - are 'widespread' on Mars

Clay minerals - rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time - cover much more of Mars than previously thought, say Georgia Institute of Technology scientists.

Early Mars not so wet after all

One of the most encouraging signs for those searching for evidence of early water on Mars has been the existence of clays. But a French-US team has now rained on that particular parade.

Bacteria discovered after 86 million years

Living bacteria have been discovered deep beneath the ocean where they've had no new food or oxygen since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

If there was life on Mars, it was probably underground

Liquid water on the Martian surface was probably never around for very long, meaning life would have struggled to gain a foothold there.