NASA’s Curiosity Rover Discovers Large Field of Martian Polygons

• NASA's Curiosity rover captured a 360-degree panorama showing an expansive field of polygonal terrain on Mars.
• The features, ranging from 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) in diameter, were discovered during the mission's 4,930th and 4,931st sols.

Discovery Details

• The rover captured the images on June 19 and 20, 2026, while ascending the foothills of Mount Sharp.
• The polygons feature a honeycomb-like texture and wrap around a sand-capped butte named "Miraflores."
• While Curiosity has observed similar shapes previously, this represents the largest concentration ever found in one location.

Scientific Context

• Polygonal patterns typically result from surface shrinkage or compaction, potentially caused by mud crack-like drying, temperature cycles, sediment burial, or mineralogical changes.
• Scientists are currently analyzing the characteristics of these specific polygons to determine the exact environmental process that created them.

Mission Logistics

• The panorama consists of 340 individual images stitched together.
• Data was captured by the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam), which is operated by Malin Space Science Systems.
• Curiosity is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under the Mars Exploration Program.