NASA’s Mars Rover Takes Cool Photo On The Cold Planet

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NASA

NASA’s Mars Opportunity rover captures a one of a kind photo of a ‘dust devil’ whirling on the surface of the Red Planet.

The rover was perched on a ridge overlooking a valley when the opportunity was presented and the image was then sent home to NASA.

abc News: Mars Dust Devil Photobombs NASA Rover Photo

The Mars Opportunity rover snapped a photo of the dusty vortex while exploring the crater Endeavour.

RT reports:

The photo shows the six-wheeled robot’s tracks in the foreground, leading up the north-facing slope of “Knudsen Ridge“, which forms part of the southern edge of “Marathon Valley“.

Meanwhile, the dust devil can be seen twisting in the background. While dust devils are common on Mars and have been caught on camera by NASA’s other rover, Spirit, the Opportunity (MER-B) rover had not been so lucky in spotting the red planet’s twisters.

This sighting was recorded on March 31 during the 4,332nd day of the rover’s mission on Mars.

During the uphill drive to reach the top of Knudsen Ridge, Opportunity’s tilt reached 32 degrees, the steepest ever for any rover on Mars.

Opportunity landed in Meridiani Planum, located 2 degrees south of Mars’ equator in 2004, three weeks after its twin Spirit (MER-A) touched down on the other side of the planet. Spirit ceased communications in 2010.

Dust devils are also common on Earth and are formed when a rising, rotating column of hot air whirls at speed, picking up tiny grains of dust from the ground in the process, making the vortex visible.

On Mars, however, stronger updrafts are needed to create the dust devils, which tend to grow bigger than their counterparts on Earth.

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