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Business Insider India<p>These yellow crystals made of elemental sulphur mark the first time this kind of sulphur has been found on Mars.<br></p>NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Imagine driving across the mysterious Martian landscape, when a rock suddenly splits open to reveal a dazzling array of bright yellow crystals. What's more, these crystals appear to be made of a substance we didn’t even think or know existed on this alien planet! Spooked yet?
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The scientists were left astounded too, as NASA's Curiosity Mars rover confirmed the discovery of yellow sulphur crystals on the Red Planet. Elemental sulphur requires very specific conditions to form—conditions that haven’t been linked to this Martian location. Moreover, Curiosity found not just one, but a field of these bright sulphur rocks!
Since October 2023, Curiosity has been exploring a sulphate-rich area of Mars. Essentially salts containing sulphur, sulphates typically form as water evaporates. Previously, Mars has revealed sulphur combined with other elements in sulphur-based minerals. But this rock showed pure elemental sulphur, marking a stark contrast. The connection between this sulphur and other sulphur-based minerals in the region remains unknown.
“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulphur is like finding an oasis in the desert. It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting,” said Curiosity's project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
NASA’s Curiosity captured this close-up image of a rock nicknamed “Snow Lake” on June 8, 2024. Nine days earlier, the rover had crushed a similar-looking rock and revealed crystalline textures—and elemental sulphur—inside.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Curiosity's exploration of Gediz Vallis channel on Mount Sharp has revealed significant findings since 2014. Each mountain layer represents a different Martian era, and Curiosity's mission is to find where and when ancient Mars could have supported microbial life.
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Identified from space before Curiosity's launch, Gediz Vallis was marked as a key target. Scientists believe water and debris flows carved the channel, leaving a ridge of boulders and sediment extending 3 kilometres down. Studying this helps understand Mars' landscape evolution over billions of years. And recent observations suggest both floods and landslides formed the debris mounds on the channel floor.
Water-carried stones are rounded, while angular rocks in some mounds indicate dry avalanches. Water exposure also created white "halo" shapes in some rocks, revealed by erosion, pointing to a complex history of water on Mars. This led the team to collect rock samples for further analysis.
On June 18, Curiosity took the opportunity to sample a large rock dubbed “Mammoth Lakes”. The sulphur rocks encountered were too small and fragile for drilling, but this nearby rock provided a viable target. Engineers carefully selected a drill site and a stable parking position on the loose, sloping surface.
Curiosity then drilled its 41st hole, using its 2-metre robotic arm. The rover's instruments analysed the powderised rock, revealing its composition. After completing this task, Curiosity moved on from Mammoth Lakes, continuing its journey to uncover more secrets within Gediz Vallis channel.
