An unusual discovery on the Red Planet has revealed an odd-looking series of polygon-shaped structures, documented in new images obtained by NASA’s Curiosity Rover.
The curious features were discovered after Curiosity was dispatched to an area of interest on the Martian terrain initially identified from orbital imagery obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
Upon its arrival at the area, which the satellite imagery had conveyed as appearing light in coloration and apparently smooth-surfaced, Curiosity discovered something vastly different.
Curiosity Uncovers a Martian Honeycomb
Writing at NASA’s Curiosity blog, Senior Research Scientist William Farrand of the Space Science Institute described the area in question as being “covered with polygonal structures like the top of a giant Martian honeycomb.”
Polygonal structures are a frequent occurrence in nature, as evidenced by the Curiosity team’s likening them to a “honeycomb” in appearance. Similar polygon-shaped features are often seen in geology, such as the famous Giant’s Causeway on Northern Ireland’s Antrim Coast, which consists of close to 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that bear a similar appearance to the features recently discovered on Mars by Curiosity.
This is also not the first time such features have been observed by Curiosity. Last May, NASA revealed similar discoveries of structural features resembling honeycomb or “waffle” patterns.
As Curiosity proceeded into the unusual area, imagery provided by the rover revealed additional polygonal features, albeit in a more eroded condition than the features it initially spotted.
“Littered about this unit are pebble to cobble-sized dark-toned rocks,” Farrand wrote, adding that among the unresolved questions researchers with the Curiosity team have “is whether these are bits of Mars that ‘floated’ down from higher in the stratigraphy, were ejected from distant impacts outside of Gale crater, or are meteorites from beyond Mars altogether.”
Clues Pointing to Meteorites?
A potential clue arises from the presence of nickel Curiosity detected in some of the darker stones. This may be significant, since nickel is generally rare in Martian rocks.
The same can’t be said for meteorites, though, which often contain an abundance of nickel and other metals. On Earth, meteors that flash in vivid shades of green as they collide with Earth’s atmosphere do so when nickel and magnesium are present within these space rocks.
It remains unclear whether all the darker-colored stones discovered by Curiosity are possible fragments from a meteorite or if their appearance is due to other factors that remain undetermined.
“Further investigations should help in answering this question,” Farrand added.
Ongoing Research by Curiosity
On Monday, June 29, 2026, Curiosity continued its investigations of these unusual features with its APXS and MAHLI instruments, with further plans to conduct additional viewing of an area the Curiosity team has dubbed the Miraflores butte, which features a small knob-like prominence.
Additional viewing was planned for the nearby Cordillera mesa as well, although much of the rover’s work has remained focused on the unique polygon-shaped structures.
“After driving further towards the upper boundary of the light-toned, polygon-covered unit, the three-sol Friday plan included APXS and MAHLI measurements of another polygon ridge and one of the dark-toned cobbles,” Farrand’s update at the Curiosity blog noted.
This particular cobble, which the Curiosity team has dubbed “Cortadera,” was studied using the rover’s ChemCam instrument, which was also used in observations of the aforementioned features, and others in the nearby Martian terrain.
In the days ahead, Curiosity is expected to traverse another area where dark-colored materials are present based on previous orbital reconnaissance, which may provide additional clues about their origins, and the intriguing features in the area where the rover’s current investigations are focused.
Additional details can be found at NASA’s Curiosity blog.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.