NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover, during its exploration of Gediz Vallis, a channel carved into Mount Sharp within Gale Crater, accidentally discovered a wealth of never-before-seen crystals. The rover’s inadvertent encounter with a small rock, causing it to crack, revealed gleaming yellow crystals within. These crystals, too delicate for the rover to handle, were found to be made of pure sulfur when the rover drilled into a nearby rock. While sulfur has been detected on Mars previously, it was always in combination with other elements as sulfates. The discovery of elemental sulfur is a first for the Red Planet, leaving scientists bewildered.
The presence of pure sulfur within surface rocks is unexpected, prompting scientists to reconsider their understanding of Martian geology. “It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it,” said Ashwin Vasavada, a Curiosity rover project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He further emphasized the thrill of unexpected discoveries in planetary exploration.
Images from the surrounding area reveal a multitude of similar geodes littered across the terrain. This discovery marks a significant area of interest for future Martian exploration. The rover, however, did not confirm the presence of yellow crystals in other rocks. Nevertheless, scientists believe these rocks contain sulfur, further reinforcing the significance of the location.
“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” Vasavada remarked. The Curiosity rover, since its landing in 2012, has uncovered several intriguing aspects of the Martian landscape. These include “waves” etched into an ancient lakebed by Martian water millions of years ago, and rocks containing manganese oxide, offering compelling evidence of a once oxygen-rich, Earth-like atmosphere on the Red Planet. The discovery of pure sulfur crystals adds another layer of complexity and intrigue to our understanding of Mars, further fueling the quest to uncover the secrets of the Red Planet.
