Curiosity Surveys the Boxwork Region
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this panorama of box-shaped formations — the low ridges seen here with troughs between them — using its Mastcam on September 26, 2025, the 4,671st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. These box-shaped formations were created billions of years ago when water seeped through rock fissures. The minerals carried into the cracks then hardened; after eons of wind-blown sand eroding the softer rock, the hardened ridges were left exposed.
The panorama is made up of 179 individual images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth. This natural color view approximately represents how the scene would appear to an average person if they were on Mars.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL is leading the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
