Overview
- Curiosity captured a 360° panorama of the polygonal fractures in Valle Grande on June 19–20, 2026, during sols 4,930–4,931 of the mission.
- The fractures form a honeycomb pattern that stretches to the rover's horizon and climbs the flanks of a 6‑meter sand‑capped butte nicknamed Miraflores.
- Individual polygons measure about 4 to 8 centimeters across, and mission scientists have measured the shapes and collected chemistry from the site for analysis.
- Researchers are evaluating multiple formation mechanisms, including drying mud, repeated freeze–thaw cycles, and compression-driven fluid expulsion, but have not reached a conclusion.
- The finding could offer new evidence about Mars's watery past and will be integrated with Curiosity's earlier chemical and organic-molecule detections as teams continue data analysis.