Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
NASA’s Curiosity rover released a 360-degree panorama of Mars’ Gediz Vallis channel, accessible as an interactive video on YouTube. The channel is believed to be an ancient riverbed or a wind-shaped geological formation.
The panoramic footage highlights significant features such as Kukenán Butte, Pinnacle Ridge, Texoli Butte, and a distant view of the Gale Crater Rim, providing new insights into the Martian landscape.
During its exploration, Curiosity encountered white sulphur stones. Upon cracking one open, yellow sulphur crystals were discovered inside, adding a new layer of mystery to Martian geology.
Scientists note that sulfur on Earth typically originates from hot springs or volcanic activity, neither of which have been observed on Mars. Researchers are investigating how the sulfur formed on the planet.
Curiosity’s observations have prompted debates about the formation of Gediz Vallis. Scientists hypothesize it could have resulted from water flow, wind erosion, or landslides from Mount Sharp’s elevations.
The rover’s next target is “the boxwork,” a web-like formation spanning six to 12 miles on Mount Sharp. First spotted in 2006, this area may hold minerals linked to ancient salty water flows.
Curiosity scientists speculate that early Earth-like microbes could have survived in the warm, mineral-rich environments suggested by the boxwork’s geology, offering a possible link to Mars’ past habitability.
Curiosity, operational for over a decade, continues to gather data for building a timeline of Martian events. JPL scientists are using its findings to piece together the history of Gediz Vallis and beyond.