Stone "snowman" and pure sulfur crystals on Mars։ Remarkable discoveries by Perseverance and Curiosity

As a result of the analysis of the data provided by NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, scientists have recorded two interesting episodes at once. In particular, one of the photos sent by Perseverance shows a stone "snowman", and Curiosity found many pure sulfur crystals on Mars, which is unusual for this planet and has confused scientists.

Stone "snowman" 

NASA's Perseverance rover sent back a photo of a portion of the Martian surface (taken on July 13) showing several rock formations. Interestingly, in the lower left corner of the photo there is a small pile of stones that resembles a small snowman, reports Space.com.

The Perseverance rover remains in Jezero Crater, where it landed on February 18, 2021. The rover has now begun moving to a new location as part of its ongoing exploration of the Red Planet.

Pure sulfur crystals

NASA rovers have been circling Mars for decades to study its geology and structural features. At the end of May this year, NASA's Curiosity rover discovered many pure sulfur crystals on the surface of the Red Planet. This is an extremely unusual finding on Mars that has baffled scientists.

"Finding a field of pure sulfur stones is like finding an oasis in the desert," the scientists explained. "It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it. Finding strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting."

Curiosity discovered the pure sulfur crystals accidentally when the rover's wheel passed over them. Sulfur compounds with other minerals or sulfates are abundant in the rover's search area. First, these are signs of the presence of water that once flowed in this area. However, a fairly narrow range of conditions must exist for pure sulfur to form. Therefore, the discovery has baffled scientists.

The rover has taken a soil sample near the site where the sulfur was found, and researchers hope that analysis by its instruments will lead to interesting insights. They are not yet ready to speculate on this matter.