NASA's Curiosity rover finds giant honeycomb-like rock field on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a vast field of giant polygon-shaped rock formations on Mars, resembling a honeycomb, that has scientists intrigued about their origin. The formations were captured in a 360-degree panorama on June 19-20, the rover's 4,930th and 4,931st Martian days, extending around a 20-foot-tall butte nicknamed "Miraflores." Project scientist Ashwin Vasavada said the "sea of polygons took our breath away," noting the team is analyzing their shapes and chemistry for clues. While similar polygons have formed from mud cracks, other processes like warming-cooling cycles or compression could create them. The discovery adds to Curiosity's 14-year mission findings, including evidence that ancient Mars had water and chemistry capable of supporting microbial life, though the origin of organic molecules remains unknown.