Research
Curiosity Mars rover sizes up new 'Nazca' dig site | Space photo of the day for Nov. 10, 2026
Space.com · By Robert Lea ·
The Brief
- NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is assessing a new drill target, dubbed "Nazca."
- A close-up image from the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager shows many disc-shaped potential crystal forms on the target.
- The image was published by Space.com in its photo-of-the-day feature for Nov. 10, 2026.
Why it matters
Close-up images of candidate drill targets help mission scientists choose which rocks to sample, so they show how the rover's geology work is progressing. The crystal forms are still only potential and need further analysis.
Who’s affected
- planetary scientists
- Mars mission followers
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this close-up image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager, showing the abundance of disc-shaped potential crystal forms on our next drill target, dubbed "Nazca." (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is sizing up its next…