NASA’s Curiosity rover finds ‘sea of polygons’ on Mars

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has captured a stunning panorama of a "sea of polygons" – honeycomb-shaped formations covering the Valle Grande valley on Mars. These polygonal fractures, each about 1.5 to 3 inches across, have been observed before by the rover, but only in small patches. The new 360-degree panorama, taken on June 19-20 (Martian sols 4930 and 4931), reveals the texture stretching in all directions. Project scientist Ashwin Vasavada said the team has carefully measured their shapes and chemistry, hoping to find clues about their formation. NASA notes that billions of years ago, lakes and streams dotted the lower foothills of Mount Sharp, a 5-kilometer-tall mountain that Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. The presence of these polygons could indicate that water once existed in Valle Grande, as some previous polygonal patches formed as mud cracks. However, various processes, including cycles of warm and cold temperatures or compression that squeezed water out of sediment, can create similar honeycomb textures.