Bruce Murray Space Image Library
ChemCam's spark
![ChemCam's spark](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x383_crop_center-center_60_line/curiosity_chemcam_instrument_testing.jpg 576w)
This image from testing of ChemCam shows a ball of luminous plasma erupting from the surface of an iron pyrite crystal in the sample chamber approximately 3 meters from the instrument. The laser beam itself is invisible. NASA / JPL