Explanation:
It moved across the surface of
Mars -- what was it?
A dust devil.
Such spinning columns of rising air are heated by the warm surface
and are also common in warm and dry areas on
planet Earth.
Typically lasting only a few minutes,
dust devils
become visible as they pick up loose red-colored dust,
leaving the darker and heavier sand beneath intact.
Dust devils not only look cool -- they can leave
visible trails, and have been credited with unexpected
cleanings
of the surfaces of solar panels.
The images in the
featured
AI-interpolated video were captured in
early August by the
Perseverance rover currently
searching for signs of ancient life in Jezero Crater.
The six-second time-lapse video
encapsulates a real duration of just over one minute.
Visible in the distance, the
spinning dust devil was estimated to be passing
by at about 20 kilometers per hour and extend up about 2 kilometers high.
Your Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)
