Planet Mars: A Martian Dust Devil Spins By | NASA's Perseverance Rover | JPL

Planet Mars: A Martian Dust Devil Spins By | NASA's Perseverance Rover | JPL

The dark lines we often see swirling over the surface of sand dunes are the tracks of dust devils on Mars. Here we have a chance to see one in action in this brief animation. 

Dr. Ken Edgett, a staff scientist at Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, California, describes a dust devil as follows: "A dust devil is something that happens both on Earth and on Mars and looks somewhat like a mini-tornado. As with tornadoes, dust devils are spinning columns of air. Such a column is called a vortex—you might see the same effect when you let water run down a bathtub drain . . . Unlike tornadoes, dust devils aren't usually associated with storms." 

Celebrating 2+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Perseverance Rover

AI-Processing: PipploIMP

Duration: 5 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 27, 2023

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