You won't believe what NASA's Curiosity rover found on Mars!
What's the story
NASA's Curiosity rover has stumbled upon an unexpected find on Mars - yellow crystals of elemental sulfur, also known as brimstone.
The discovery occurred when the roughly 900kg rover inadvertently cracked open a rock, revealing the sulfur.
This marks the first time that sulfur has been found in its pure form on Mars.
The finding was made in the Gediz Vallis Channel, a region strewn with rocks similar to the one containing the sulfur.
Implications
Elemental sulfur discovery sheds light on Mars's geological history
The presence of sulfates—salts formed when sulfur combines with other minerals in water—is a common occurrence on Mars.
These sulfates can offer valuable insights into the planet's water history and its weathering over time.
However, the formation of pure sulfur requires specific conditions that are not known to have existed in the region where Curiosity made its discovery.
This suggests there may be aspects of Mars' geological history that remain undiscovered.
Investigation
Sulfur discovery sparks new questions about Mars
Sulfur is a vital element for all life and is used to create two essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis.
While sulfates have been known to exist on Mars, this new discovery of pure sulfur does not provide any additional information about potential life on the planet.
However, the next step will be determining how the sulfur came to be there, which may involve detailed modeling of Mars's geological evolution.
Exploration
Curiosity rover continues exploration of Gediz Vallis channel
Curiosity continues its exploration of the Gediz Vallis channel, an area rich in Martian history.
The rover has drilled a hole in one of the rocks, taking a powdered sample of its interior for chemical analysis.
Now, it's moving deeper along the channel to uncover more potential surprises.
"Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says on the discovery.