Curiosity Rover Captures High-Res Panorama of 'Miraflores' Butte on Mars
On June 11, 2026 (sol 4923), NASA's Curiosity Rover, which is currently investigating Gale Crater on Mars, obtained a detailed panoramic photograph of a sand-covered butte known as 'Miraflores.' The Mast Camera on the rover captured 11 images, resulting in a panorama measuring 6,162 x 2,576 pixels. This butte, standing 20 feet (6 meters) tall, emerged from erosion of the surrounding rock and is situated above a valley floor dotted with thousands of polygonal shapes, remnants of a former seabed. These polygons, ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) in size, radiate outward in various directions. Ashwin Vasavada, a project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted the team's investigation into these formations. Curiosity has been climbing Mount Sharp within the 96-mile-wide Gale Crater since 2014.
Key facts
- Curiosity Rover captured a high-res panorama of a butte named 'Miraflores' on Mars.
- The image was taken on June 11, 2026 (sol 4923).
- The panorama is composed of 11 photos stitched together, with a resolution of 6,162 x 2,576 pixels.
- The butte is about 20 feet (6 meters) tall and is sand-capped.
- The butte is surrounded by thousands of polygonal shapes, each 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) across.
- The polygons are thought to be an ancient seabed.
- Ashwin Vasavada, project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, commented on the landscape.
- The butte and polygons are inside Gale Crater, which contains Mount Sharp, an 18,000-foot-high peak.
- Curiosity has been ascending Mount Sharp since 2014.
- Previous discoveries include carbon-based molecules that are precursors to RNA and DNA.
- The color of the image was adjusted to match human-eye viewing conditions.
Entities
Institutions
- NASA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Locations
- Mars
- Gale Crater
- Mount Sharp
- Southern California