A team of scientists studying strange spectral lines observed on Mars may have discovered a previously unknown mineral. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

For nearly two decades, scientists have been receiving data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, constantly in orbit around Mars. On board the orbiter, the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) analyzes the spectra of the planet's surface below, identifying the elements present.

"Sulfate minerals are significant components of the martian surface and provide clues about the martian geochemical environment," the team from the SETI Institute and NASA Ames write in their study. "One unusual Fe-sulfate phase has been intriguing Mars scientists for ove

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