Many tiny specks of ancient water are locked within one of the oldest and most famous Martian meteorites ever to fall to Earth, a new study finds. The surprising discovery, achieved using a new form of "neutron scanning," reveals more clues about the Red Planet's watery past, which may have set the stage for extraterrestrial life to flourish.

Meteorite NWA 7034, more commonly known as Black Beauty, is a roughly 11-ounce (320 grams) chunk of Mars that was ejected when another space rock slammed into the Red Planet. It was discovered in 2011 by nomads in the Moroccan region of the Sahara Desert, although it is unclear when it fell to Earth. The meteorite has since become famous for its dark hue, which has been further accentuated by heavy polishing on one of its faces.

Black Beauty likely originates from the 6-mile-wide (10 kilometers) Karratha crater near Mars' equator, and was ejected into space between 5 million and 10 million years ago, according to Live Science's sister site Space.com. However, it is much older than that, and scientists have since dated the coal-like rock to at least 4.44 billion years ago, making it the oldest Martian meteorite found to date.