{"id":767139,"date":"2023-09-29T11:59:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T15:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=767139"},"modified":"2023-09-29T11:59:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T15:59:27","slug":"nasas-perseverance-captures-dust-filled-martian-whirlwind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=767139","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Perseverance Captures Dust-Filled Martian Whirlwind"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Perseverance Captures Dust-Filled Martian Whirlwind<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\"NASA’s<\/figure>
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NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover captured this Martian dust devil moving east to west at a clip of about 12 mph (19 kph) along \u201cThorofare Ridge\u201d on Aug. 30. The video, which was sped up 20 times, is composed of 21 frames taken four seconds apart. It was enhanced in order to show maximal detail.<\/div>\n
NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The six-wheeled geologist spotted the twister as part of an atmospheric exploration of Jezero Crater.<\/em><\/p>\n

The lower portion of a Martian dust devil was captured moving along the western rim of Mars\u2019 Jezero Crater by NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover on Aug. 30, 2023, the 899th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The video, which was sped up 20 times, is composed of 21 frames taken four seconds apart by one of the rover\u2019s Navcams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Much weaker and generally smaller than Earth\u2019s tornadoes, dust devils are one of the mechanisms that move and redistribute dust around Mars. Scientists study them to better understand the Martian atmosphere and improve their weather models.<\/p>\n

Using data from the imagery, mission scientists determined that this particular dust devil was about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away, at a location nicknamed \u201cThorofare Ridge,\u201d and moving east to west at about 12 mph (19 kph). They calculated its width to be about 200 feet (60 meters). And while only the bottom 387 feet (118 meters) of the swirling vortex are visible in the camera frame, the scientists could also estimate its full height.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t see the top of the dust devil, but the shadow it throws gives us a good indication of its height,\u201d said Mark Lemmon, a planetary scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and a member of the Perseverance science team. \u201cMost 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dust devils, which occur on Earth as well, form when rising cells of warm air mix with descending columns of cooler air. The Martian versions can grow to be much larger than those found on Earth. And while they are most prominent during the spring and summer months (Mars\u2019 northern hemisphere, where Perseverance is located, is currently in summer), scientists can\u2019t predict when they\u2019ll appear at a specific location. So Perseverance and its fellow NASA Mars rover Curiosity routinely monitor in all directions for them, taking images in black-and-white to reduce the amount of data sent to Earth.<\/p>\n

More About the Mission<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A key objective for Perseverance\u2019s mission on Mars is astrobiology<\/a>, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet\u2019s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).<\/p>\n

Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.<\/p>\n

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA\u2019s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis<\/a> missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.<\/p>\n

JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.<\/p>\n

For more about Perseverance: <\/p>\n

mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

DC Agle
<\/strong>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

Karen Fox \/ Alana Johnson
<\/strong>NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668 \/ 202-672-4780
alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

2023-138<\/p>\n

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