(NewsNation) — NASA’s Perseverance rover captured images of a dust devil on the surface of Mars, providing more data on how weather works on the red planet.
The images were taken on Aug. 30, 2023, the 899th Martian day of the mission, showing the twister moving along the western rim of the Jezero Crater.
Dust devils on Mars are much weaker than tornadoes on Earth and serve to move and distribute dust around the planet. The dust devil was about 2.5 miles from the rover, moving east to west at roughly 12 miles per hour.
Scientists estimate the width of the dust devil at around 200 feet, with an estimated height of about 1.2 miles.
Dust devils occur on Earth as well, forming when cells of warm air rising through the atmosphere mix with descending columns of cooler air. Scientists can’t predict where they will appear, so the two Mars rovers, Perseverance and Curiosity, monitor for them in all directions.
Perseverance’s mission is focused on astrobiology, including searching for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will help scientists better understand the geology and past climate on Mars, paving the way for human exploration on the planet.