Scientists were stunned to find pure sulfur on the surface on Mars with the help of a Curiosity rover.
NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered sulfur in its purest form for the first time, although it was only found previously in a mixture.
NASA’s scientists said the rover accidently drove over a rock and cracked it open, revealing the pure sulfur that could prove handy in studying the Red Planet.
Why Is It Important?
Sulfur is an important element that helps in sustaining human life such as making amino acids that make up proteins.
Researchers have found sulfur before but the extent of purity of the substance was always compromised.
Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada said the discovery was unexpected, but it’ll lead to answering critical questions about the water history of Mars, its weather patterns and possibly ancient life.
Sciencealert website described the findings in these words; “Discovery of scads of pure sulfur just hanging about on the Martian surface suggests that there’s something pretty big that we’re not aware of”.
