Since the Mars Curiosity Rover first set down on Mars in August of 2012, it has been offering astronomers and other scientists an almost endless stream of new information to be studied.
Since then, it has traveled over many different surfaces on the Red Planet, gathering video, pictures, samples, and much more.
While most of what Curiosity accomplishes is due to the directions of scientists on Earth, sometimes what it finds is more accidental.
Recently, the Curiosity Rover was traveling over a rocky area when its weight cracked open several of the rocks. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that these rocks were actually crystals of pure elemental sulfur, something that nobody expected.
Ashwin Vasavada, a Curiosity scientist, commented on this in a NASA statement, saying:
“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur 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.”
The area where this was found is known as Gediz Vallis, which scientists currently believe was formed from flowing water and landslides in the distant past.
Planetary Science Institute Scientist Becky Williams explained what was happening on the planet when this area was formed:
“This was not a quiet period on Mars. There was an exciting amount of activity here. We’re looking at multiple flows down the channel, including energetic floods and boulder-rich flows.”
Experts are still coming up with theories on when, and how, sulfur crystals may have formed in this area.
The Mars Curiosity Rover is still making incredible discoveries, well over a decade after it first landed.
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