"The emerging picture is that early Mars and Earth had something in common – both were wet. It is known from analysis of the oldest zircons on Earth that liquid water existed by at least 4.3 billion years ago. We now have evidence for water on Mars that is even older," geologist Aaron Cavosie of Curtin University in Australia told ScienceAlert.

Researchers found signs of water-rich fluids on a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain from the Martian meteorite NWA7034, known as Black Beauty, found in the Sahara Desert in 2011

Water is ubiquitous on Earth—about 70% of Earth's surface is covered by the stuff. Water is in the air, on the surface and inside rocks. Geologic evidence suggests water has been stable on Earth since about 4.

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