NASA's Curiosity rover uncovers 'mind-blowing' yellow sulfur crystals on Mars [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Last Updated: Jul 20, 2024, 09:00:00 PM IST

NASA's Curiosity rover has stumbled upon an extraordinary find on Mars: pure sulfur crystals. The discovery occurred when the 1-ton rover accidentally cracked open a rock, revealing yellowish-green sulfur crystals that had never been seen before on the red planet.

“I think it’s the strangest find of the whole mission and the most unexpected,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “I have to say, there’s a lot of luck involved here. Not every rock has something interesting inside.”

Curiosity has been investigating the Gediz Vallis channel, a prominent geological feature on Mount Sharp. This channel, which appears to have been shaped 3 billion years ago by a combination of flowing water and debris, has been a focal point of the rover’s mission. The team had observed white rocks from a distance and directed Curiosity to capture detailed images.

On May 30, the team discovered a crushed rock within the rover’s wheel tracks. A closer examination revealed the sulfur crystals, described as “mind-blowing” by Vasavada. This find marks the first time pure sulfur has been detected on Mars.

Background on Previous Discoveries

Curiosity had previously identified sulfates, salts containing sulfur, on Mars. These sulfates are typically formed from the evaporation of water. However, the presence of pure sulfur is unprecedented. “No one had pure sulfur on their bingo card,” Vasavada noted.

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