The Curiosity rover made an unprecedented discovery on Mars when it accidentally cracked open a rock in the Gediz Vallis channel, revealing bright yellow crystals of pure elemental sulfur, a rare find on the Red Planet. This unexpected finding of elemental sulfur, which forms under specific conditions not associated with the region's history, has excited scientists and prompted further investigation into its presence, formation, and relationship to other sulfur-based minerals on Mars. 1 View gallery Curiosity Mars rover ( Photo: Shutterstock ) The sulfur's formation on Mars could aid in the search for ancient microbial life, as sulfur can also form through microbial activity.
The discovery in the Gediz Vallis channel, a site believed to have been formed by water 3 billion years ago, raises questions about Mars' geological processes and suggests the planet experienced active geological events like floods and landslides. This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq Sources: National Geographic, CNN, New York Post, Newsweek, Yahoo, Sat.1, Engadget, Forbes, Live Science, Clarín, NASA, JPL, Noticias Villaguay, Gizmodo, O Povo, Mashable, Economic Times, O Antagonista.
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