NASA announced today that the rover has picked up sound from Martian dust for the first time, and it could help scientists better understand how the dust might affect future Mars missions, reports engadget.
The rover’s microphones picked up the dust on September 27, 2021. To the average ear, it looks similar to a microphone picking up wind gusts on Earth, but scientists can learn more.
“As the dust passes over Perseverance, we can actually hear the individual impacts of the grains on the lander and we can actually count them,” Naomi Murdoch, a planetary scientist and author of the new report, told The Washington Post.
Dust is an important factor in planning Mars missions, and it can corrode spacecraft heat shields, damage scientific instruments, obstruct parachutes, and choke off solar panels.
Scientists estimate the recorded tornado to be about 82 feet wide and 387 feet high. Although that may sound scary, this relatively small storm did not damage the rover.