Curiosity rover breaks open a rock on Mars and discovers a surprising yellow treasure.

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This treasure discovered on Mars is vital for life, representing another piece in the puzzle about habitability on the red planet.


Since its arrival on Mars in 2012, the Curiosity rover, designed to explore the Martian terrain and analyze its composition, has allowed the scientific community to obtain key clues about Mars' geological and environmental past.

However, during one of its routine trips through the Gediz Vallis channel, Curiosity made a completely unexpected discovery: the red planet possesses crystals of pure elemental sulfur.

How was this discovery made on Mars?

“Finding a field of rocks made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Curiosity project leader Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

But how did this discovery happen? According to Science Alert, the robot accidentally broke a rock while rolling over it with its 899-kilogram weight, and yellow crystals of elemental sulfur were observed through the cracks.

This pure form only forms under very specific geochemical conditions, which were previously unthinkable in that region of the planet. What's most intriguing is that the Gediz Vallis channel features numerous similar rocks, which could indicate a local abundance of this element.

“The next step will be to figure out exactly how, based on what we know about Mars, sulfur may have come to exist,” Science Alert notes.

What is the relevance of sulfur?

Sulfur is essential for life as we know it, as it is part of fundamental amino acids.

Although this discovery does not imply the existence of Martian life, it does add another piece to the complex puzzle of the habitability of the red planet, which possesses other key elements such as water.