© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSA cracked-open rock revealed yellow crystals of sulfur on the Martian surface.
For nearly 10 years, NASA's four-wheeled robot has been climbing the foothills of Mount Sharp, a tall mountain on Mars that stands above an ancient crater, uncovering mysteries with each of its layers. In its latest discovery, the Martian explorer stumbled upon a field of rocks made of pure sulfur, a chemical element that could hold precious clues to the Red Planet's watery past.
The Curiosity rover recently drove over a rock, accidentally cracking it open. Inside were shiny yellow crystals, which scientists later determined to be elemental sulfur, NASA said. Although sulfur-based minerals (a mix of sulfur with other materials) have been found on Mars before, this is the first discovery of rocks made of pure sulfur. And there could be a whole bunch of them on Mars, but scientists aren't sure how they formed.
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