--- title: "NASA Mars Rover Discovers Field of Mesmerizing Polygons" description: "NASA Mars scientists were stunned after their rover stumbled on a vast stretch of polygon-textured landscape." date: "2026-07-30" modified: "2026-07-30" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/space/nasa-mars-rover-polygons" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" --- # NASA Mars Rover Discovers Field of Mesmerizing Polygons ![A 360-degree view of an expanse of Martian terrain covered in surface features called polygons, taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover.]() *NASA* A vast field of mesmerizing polygons has left Mars scientists enthralled. Don't be mistaken: NASA didn't send a robot across the solar system so its eggheads could get a rundown in basic geometry. Instead, the Curiosity rover stumbled upon a stretch of the Martian valley called "Valle Grande" where the landscape is defined by honeycomb-shaped patterns ranging two to four inches in diameter. These so-called "polygonal fractures" have been spotted elsewhere on the Red Planet, but never texturing an entire landscape at such a scale. "We've seen a lot of fascinating landscapes through Curiosity's eyes, but this sea of polygons took our breath away," project scientist Ashwin Vasavada at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a [statement](). "We measured their shapes and chemistry carefully and are hopeful there are clues in the data as to how these features formed." https://twitter.com/NASAMars/status/2082529612991762499 The Curiosity rover stumbled on the polygon field while ascending the foothills of a three-mile-high mountain called Mount Sharp, where it's been roaming since 2014. Captured with its Mastcam instrument, a panorama composed of 340 images taken back on June 19 show the hexagons dominating a huge stretch of the landscape. On Mars, polygonal textures are generally mud cracks. What created them hints at the planet's fascinating geological history: the honeycombs can form as a result of water drying up and causing sediments to shrink, or they can be carved out by extreme temperature swings. By studying these features, scientists hope to piece together how flowing water once helped shape the Red Planet's surface. **More on Mars:** [*NASA Rover Finds "Complex Organic Matter" on Mars*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()