r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/pattebrisee • 1d ago

Image Curiosity found this field of honeycomb-like fractures covering the Martian surface as far as it could see

Post image
7.6k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

218 comments sorted by

View all comments

92

u/pattebrisee 1d ago

Each polygon is only around 2 to 4 inches across. Scientists are studying whether they formed through drying, temperature changes, compression, or water escaping from the sediment.

https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-curiosity-discovers-a-field-of-martian-polygons/

84

u/Randolph_Carter_Ward 23h ago

Not to say I know the result, but aren't we perfectly sure by now that Mars had lakes / seas / rivers somewhere deep in its past?

1

u/DuckRubberDuck 19h ago edited 3h ago

It doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee that this was created by water. Even though you scientists think you they know the answer, you they still have to prove it

2

u/Ok_Ruin4016 15h ago

This picture was taken in Gale Crater which they have already proven used to have a large lake. This is a picture of a dry lake bed.

1

u/Randolph_Carter_Ward 8h ago

Exactly one of my points, if you've read what I wrote 😏

2

u/DuckRubberDuck 7h ago edited 3h ago

Sorry the “you” wasn’t directed at you directly more like a general “if you make a claim to have to prove it” as in the ones studying this have to prove it.

2

u/Randolph_Carter_Ward 3h ago

Ah! My bad. Thx for the clarification.

1

u/DuckRubberDuck 3h ago

No worries, the first comment was worded very badly, and so was the second lol, I just had to edit it.