Dust devil on Mars? NASA's Perseverance rover snaps a Martian mystery
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NASA's Perseverance rover recently provided a fascinating glimpse into a familiar weather phenomenon on Mars, reminiscent of dust devils observed in Earth's desert regions.
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On August 30, 2023, the car-sized Perseverance rover recorded a video of a dust devil in action. This captivating event occurred on the western rim of Mars' Jezero Crater.
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Mission scientists calculated that the dust devil was approximately 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away from Perseverance when it was captured on video. The whirlwind was moving from east to west at a speed of about 12 mph (19 kph).
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The team estimated the dust devil's width to be around 200 feet (60 meters). While the top of the whirlwind wasn't visible in the video frame, its shadow offered clues about its height.
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Perseverance science team member Mark Lemmon explained that the shadow of the dust devil suggested it could be as tall as 1.2 miles (2 km) if it had a vertical column configuration.
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Perseverance documented the dust devil with 21 images taken by one of its navigation cameras. These images were then stitched together to create a captivating video, which was sped up by a factor of 20.
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The Perseverance rover landed in the Jezero Crater in February 2021. Its mission includes searching for signs of past life on Mars and collecting and preserving samples for future return to Earth.
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Jezero Crater, with its history of hosting a vast lake and river delta billions of years ago, is an excellent location for Perseverance's scientific investigations.
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Perseverance has detected numerous dust devils during its mission on Mars. In September 2021, it even captured audio of one of these whirlwinds, marking a historic first in Mars exploration.
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Perseverance's observations of dust devils play a crucial role in improving our understanding of Mars' atmosphere and enhancing Red Planet weather models, as stated by NASA officials.