Title: NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Captures Images of Dust Devil on Red Planet’s Surface
Date: August 31, 2023
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover has recently captured a series of images showcasing a dust devil twister gracefully dancing across the surface of the red planet. On August 30, 2023, the lower portion of the twister was observed moving along the western rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater, approximately 2.5 miles away from the rover.
The 21 images, taken four seconds apart by one of Perseverance’s Navcams, were compiled and accelerated 20 times to display the movement of the dust devil. Although dust devils on Mars are weaker and smaller compared to their counterparts on Earth, they play a crucial role in redistributing dust on the planet and provide valuable insights into its atmosphere. This phenomenon serves as a subject of study among scientists and aids in the enhancement of current weather models.
Based on the images, NASA’s mission scientists estimate that the dust devil was about 2.5 miles away, situated on the “Thorofare Ridge,” moving at a pace of approximately 12 mph in an east-to-west direction. The width of the twister was calculated to be almost 200 feet wide, with the captured section measuring around 387 feet from the bottom. However, scientists believe that the dust devil extends over a mile in height.
Mark Lemmon, a planetary scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and a member of the Perseverance science team, stated, “We don’t see the top of the dust devil, but the shadow it throws gives us a good indication of its height. Most are vertical columns. If this dust devil were configured that way, its shadow would indicate it is about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) in height.”
Dust devils on Earth form when rising warm air mixes with cooler descending air columns. However, Martian dust devils can grow to be much larger compared to those found on our planet. Scientists are continuously working to gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to the appearance of dust devils in specific locations on Mars.
Perseverance rover has been actively exploring the Jezero Crater since its landing over two years ago, with the primary objective of uncovering signs of ancient microbial life. The captured images of the dust devil further contribute to NASA’s ongoing mission on the red planet.
Greg Wehner, a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital, contributed to this article.
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