NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered something unprecedented on Mars “unintentionally”. The device passed over a shiny rock, which broke apart, and inside it was pure sulfur, a mineral that had never been found on the planet in this way.
The discovery took place on May 30, but was only disclosed in recent days.
Since October, the robot has been investigating an area abundant in sulfates — a type of salt that contains sulfur and forms when water evaporates. However, in this region, sulfur is mixed with other materials, unlike the form that was found in May.
Currently, Curiosity is exploring a region known as Gediz Vallis, a channel likely formed by large floods of water and rocky debris that has accumulated along the channel. The robot’s mission is to study where and when the planet’s ancient terrain could have offered the nutrients essential for microbial life.
“Finding a field of rocks made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “He shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting,” said the scientist.
Since 2012, Curiosity has been operating on Mars, providing a series of iconic images that capture the essence of the red planet.
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