This week, NASA revealed its Curiosity Mars rover viewed yellow crystals of elemental sulfur using its Mast Camera last month, the first time the mineral has been found in its pure form.

The sulfur was found in a location nicknamed “Convict Lake” after a location in California’s Sierra Nevada. It is about 5 inches across from left to right.

“These crystals were found after Curiosity happened to drive over and crush the rock several days before,” NASA said. “The rover later used an instrument on the end of its robotic arm, called the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, to determine the composition of the rock.”

While this is the first time scientists have found pure sulfur on the planet, they have also discovered several different kinds of sulfur on Mars.

Elemental sulfur is created during geological processes like volcanic eruptions and hydrothermal activity. Scientists are unsure where the elemental sulfur might have formed, but they’re looking for clues in the rocks and surrounding area.

By: DocMemory
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