NASA's Curiosity rover catches stunning Martian dawn
NASA's Curiosity rover has captured a detailed panorama of wind-carved cliffs known as yardangs on Mars. The images provide scientists with new data on the geological history of Mount Sharp and the ancient environmental conditions of the planet.
Why it matters
Continued exploration of Mars helps scientists understand the planet's history and potential for past habitability.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add to Preferred Sources The captivating shapes of wind-carved crags called yardangs are revealed in this zoomed-in crop of a broader panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on Aug. 11, 2026. Scientists are eager to learn more about how the yardang layer formed. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. The scene was snapped at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time, showing striking blue hues in the foreground as bright morning light illuminates crags known as yardangs on the horizon.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in