Mars was awash with liquid water... 3 billion years ago

LAKES of liquid water existed on Mars at a time when the planet was previously thought to be a frozen desert.

A team of British-led scientists believes 20km-wide lakes of melted ice were dotted around parts of the planet’s equator three billion years ago, a period termed the Hesperian Epoch.

No one had expected to find evidence of a warm, wet climate capable of sustaining surface water on Mars during this period.