Scientists found sulfur crystals on the Red Planet when Curiosity accidentally broke a rock. The Mars rover accidentally drove into an area of such rocks, according to a report from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The rover has been exploring a sulfate-rich region of Mars since last October. It passed over the rock, cracked it, and found that it was filled with yellow sulfur crystals. Interestingly, there were sulfur-based minerals on the planet before, but this rock is pure (elemental) sulfur. On Earth, this odorless mineral is created by a variety of geological processes, including volcanic and hydrothermal activity.
Researchers were both delighted and surprised by the unusual find. “Finding a rock site made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada.
Scientists don’t yet know what processes could have led to the formation of elemental sulfur on Mars, so they’re looking for clues in rocks and surrounding areas. The Curiosity rover used its Mast Camera to look at these yellow crystals and color-correct the images to confirm their findings. One of them is that elemental sulfur “shouldn’t” exist on Mars.
Scientists previously sent Missy Elliott’s trail to Venus at the speed of light. Read about it here.
Source: People Talk
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