The crystal structure of sulfur is an orthorhombic crystal system, where the sulfur atoms are arranged in a distorted octahedral arrangement. This structure is known as the α-sulfur or rhombic sulfur. The sulfur atoms in this crystal structure are linked by covalent bonds, forming S8 rings. These rings are then stacked in a zigzag pattern, resulting in the overall orthorhombic crystal structure. At temperatures above 95.6 °C, sulfur transforms to a monoclinic crystal structure, β-sulfur. In this phase, the S8 rings are arranged in a more regular, puckered structure.