NASA’s Curiosity rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars: rocks made entirely of pure sulfur. This unexpected find, described as the most strange and unusual of the mission, has scientists buzzing with excitement. While driving across the Martian landscape, the rover accidentally cracked open a rock, revealing bright yellowish-green crystals of pure sulfur. This discovery is particularly significant because it’s the first time such a composition has been observed on Mars.
Ashwin Vasavada, the Curiosity project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), attributed the find to pure luck. The team was initially focused on capturing a mosaic of the landscape when they noticed a crushed rock in the rover’s wheel tracks. Upon closer inspection, they were astonished to find the pure sulfur crystals. “I think it’s the strangest find of the whole mission and the most unexpected,” Vasavada said. “I have to say, there’s a lot of luck involved here. Not every rock has something interesting inside.”
Curiosity has already made significant contributions to our understanding of Mars’ habitability, with previous discoveries including evidence of long-lasting lakes and organic materials. Now, scientists are eager to understand the implications of pure sulfur on Mars and how it might contribute to our knowledge of the planet’s past.
The Curiosity team is currently focused on exploring the Gediz Vallis channel, believed to have been carved by water and debris roughly 3 billion years ago. This channel, located on the 5-kilometer-tall Mount Sharp, has been a key target for Curiosity since it began its ascent in 2014.
The discovery of pure sulfur adds to the growing body of evidence indicating the presence of water on ancient Mars. Previous findings of sulfates, salts containing sulfur formed by evaporating water, have been observed in surface cracks, suggesting ancient groundwater flows.
NASA’s Spirit rover also made a notable discovery related to water activity on Mars. During its mission from 2004 to 2011, Spirit broke a wheel and had to drag it backwards while driving. This unexpected event exposed bright white soil, later found to be nearly pure silica. The presence of silica suggests that Mars may have had hot springs or steam vents, potentially providing conditions suitable for microbial life.
The discovery of pure sulfur rocks by Curiosity further solidifies the potential for past water activity and the intriguing possibility of life on Mars. As the rover continues its exploration, scientists eagerly await further discoveries that will shed light on the Red Planet’s fascinating history.
