NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures Image of Sand-Capped Butte

• NASA's Curiosity rover photographed a 20-foot (6-meter) tall butte nicknamed "Miraflores."
• The image was captured on June 11, 2026, during the mission's 4,923rd Martian day (sol).

Mission and Imaging Details

• The rover used its Mast Camera (Mastcam) to capture 11 individual images, which were stitched together into a panorama.
• Colors were adjusted to approximate lighting conditions as seen by the human eye on Earth.
• The featured butte was formed by the erosion of surrounding rock layers within the valley the rover is currently traversing.
• The surrounding terrain contains geological surface features known as polygons.

Background and Operations

• The Curiosity mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under the Science Mission Directorate.
• Mastcam was developed and is operated by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, California.