Mars Curiosity Rover Discovers Massive Field of Polygons
NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a field of polygonal features on the surface of Mars, likely formed by ancient wet-dry cycles. These findings provide new insights into the geological history and potential past climate of the Red Planet.
Why it matters
Understanding Mars' geological history helps scientists determine if the planet was once habitable and how its climate evolved over billions of years.
The surface of Mars is home to some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscapes in the solar system. This is primarily due to the Red Planet lacking several re-surfacing processes that Earth possesses, including plate tectonics, volcanism, and flowing water. While Mars does have dust storms, this has done little to reshape the planet’s surface, which has remained largely undisturbed for billions of years. However, this near-pristine landscape has enabled scientists to look back in time while slowly piecing together what Mars was like long ago.
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