One way scientists study planets is by looking at the minerals on their surfaces. They can tell us a lot about how worlds form.

Scientists have been looking at unusual layers of iron sulfates on Mars, and these layers may represent a whole new mineral.

Janice Bishop, a research scientist at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and NASA Ames Research Center in California's sSilicon Valley, has led a study that dives into these mysterious Martian formations.

"We investigated two sulfate-bearing sites near the vast Valles Marineris canyon system that included mysterious spectral bands seen from orbital data, as well as layered sulfates and intriguing geology," Bishop said in a statement.

Using data gathered by Mars orbiters, Bishop and her team studied sites with

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