An anomaly similar to dragon skin was discovered on Mars

The Curiosity rover spotted an unusual stone pattern on the surface of Mars that resembles scales. NASA experts are now studying this phenomenon and offering possible explanations for its origin.

The images were taken on April 13, 2026, while the rover was moving towards the Antofagasta crater. The photographs capture thousands of repeating polygonal shapes, reminiscent of a honeycomb structure.

Geological patterns like these are often associated with the influence of water, so finding them helps scientists estimate how long liquid water may have persisted on Mars. Researcher Abigail Freeman from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted that similar structures have already been encountered before, but not on this scale. According to her, scientists have observed rocks with polygonal patterns before, but they have not previously covered such large areas of the surface.

The appearance of the area has been compared to the skin of reptiles, but the explanation lies in geological processes. On Earth, such cracks usually form when wet soil dries out: it shrinks and cracks. As this process is repeated many times, the cracks gradually acquire a more ordered, often hexagonal shape. A similar phenomenon on Mars was already recorded in 2023 in the Ponturi rock in Gale Crater.

According to a study published in the Journal of Statistical Physics, the hexagonal structures found there did not form in a single drying cycle, but as a result of repeated alternation of wet and dry periods. The scientists also found that the cracks changed over time, from T-shaped joints to more complex Y-shaped joints.

This geometry indicates recurring environmental conditions, possibly related to seasonal changes. If similar processes occurred in the Antofagasta region, this may indicate the existence of stable cycles of the presence of liquid water on Mars.

So far, the rover has already taken eight images and collected chemical data in the area. Their analysis will reveal whether minerals, such as salts, similar to those previously discovered in Ponturi, are present here.

All of these observations strengthen the hypothesis that Mars had a much more active and complex water history in the past than its present surface would suggest.

Recall that a very high nickel content was discovered on Mars.

To be continued…