NASA’s Curiosity Rover has made several discoveries on Mars, and the latest one has surprised scientists. The rover in May drove over some stones, cracking open one of them. What stumbled out was nothing less than magical - yellow sulfur crystal, a first for the red planet.&nbsp;

“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” Curiosity’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said.&nbsp;

The discovery was made in a region that is rich in sulfates and has been explored by Curiosity since October 2023. Sulfate is a kind of salt that comprises sulfur and forms after the water evaporates. This is not the first time that sulfur has been found on Mars, but past findings have basically been of sulfur-based minerals. But the rock that Curiosity crushed contains elemental, or pure, sulfur. 
And it's not just one rock, there are several more of them spread in a vast field in the area.&nbsp;

The astonishing thing is that the conditions needed to form this sulfur have never been linked by scientists to this particular region. The formation of sulfur depends on a narrow range of conditions.&nbsp;

“It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting," Ashwin added.

Additionally, while sulfur usually is associated with the odour of rotten eggs, which is caused by&nbsp;the hydrogen sulfide gas, elemental sulfur, the one found in the rock, is odourless.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/strange-lakes-rivers-and-oceans-are-flowing-on-saturns-moon-scientists-find-it-eerily-similar-to-earth-742065">Strange lakes, rivers and oceans are flowing on Saturn's moon. Scientists find it eerily similar to Earth</a>

<h2>Where is Curiosity right now?</h2>

The rover is currently exploring the red planet's Gediz Vallis channel, a groove on the 5-kilometre-tall&nbsp;Mount Sharp. The mountain hides the mysteries of Mars as each layer denotes a different period of its history. Curiosity has been climbing up this mountain since 2014 and aims to learn about the nutrients that likely once gave birth to microbial life on Mars.&nbsp;

Gediz Vallis channel was spotted from space long before Curiosity was sent to Mars. Scientists believe that liquid water flowing in this region created this channel, and the debris that it brought with it left a ridge of boulders and sediment for two miles down the mountainside. The aim is to understand what went wrong and how did the current landscape emerge.&nbsp;

The large mounds of debris on the channel’s floor likely happened because of ancient floodwaters or landslides. Curiosity has given hints that suggest both possibilities, violent water gushing down along with debris created some of it and local landslides formed the other.&nbsp;

 
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NASA’s Curiosity Rover has made several discoveries on Mars, and the latest one has surprised scientists. The rover in May drove over some stones, cracking open one of them.

NASA’s Curiosity Rover has made several discoveries on Mars, and the latest one has surprised scientists. The rover in May drove over some stones, cracking open one of them. What stumbled out was nothing less than magical - yellow sulfur crystal, a first for the red planet. “Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” Curiosity’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said. The discovery was made in a region that is rich in sulfates and has been explored by Curiosity since October 2023. Sulfate is a kind of salt that comprises sulfur and forms after the water evaporates. This is not the first time that sulfur has been found on Mars, but past findings have basically been of sulfur-based minerals. But the rock that Curiosity crushed contains elemental, or pure, sulfur. And it's not just one rock, there are several more of them spread in a vast field in the area. The astonishing thing is that the conditions needed to form this sulfur have never been linked by scientists to this particular region. The formation of sulfur depends on a narrow range of conditions. “It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting," Ashwin added. Additionally, while sulfur usually is associated with the odour of rotten eggs, which is caused by the hydrogen sulfide gas, elemental sulfur, the one found in the rock, is odourless. Also Read: Strange lakes, rivers and oceans are flowing on Saturn's moon. Scientists find it eerily similar to Earth Where is Curiosity right now? The rover is currently exploring the red planet's Gediz Vallis channel, a groove on the 5-kilometre-tall Mount Sharp. The mountain hides the mysteries of Mars as each layer denotes a different period of its history. Curiosity has been climbing up this mountain since 2014 and aims to learn about the nutrients that likely once gave birth to microbial life on Mars. Gediz Vallis channel was spotted from space long before Curiosity was sent to Mars. Scientists believe that liquid water flowing in this region created this channel, and the debris that it brought with it left a ridge of boulders and sediment for two miles down the mountainside. The aim is to understand what went wrong and how did the current landscape emerge. The large mounds of debris on the channel’s floor likely happened because of ancient floodwaters or landslides. Curiosity has given hints that suggest both possibilities, violent water gushing down along with debris created some of it and local landslides formed the other.

Curiosity rover cuts open rock on Mars, spilling out an unexpected secret

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Curiosity rover cuts open rock on Mars, spilling out an unexpected secret