Martian Dust Devil Trails
Credit: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA
Posted on 10/21/2009 10:46:39 AM PDT by sig226
Explanation: Who's been marking up Mars? This portion of a recent high-resolution picture from the HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows twisting dark trails criss-crossing light colored terrain on the martian surface. Newly formed trails like these had presented researchers with a tantalizing martian mystery but are now known to be the work of miniature wind vortices known to occur on the red planet - martian dust devils. Such spinning columns of rising air heated by the warm surface are also common in dry and desert areas on planet Earth. Typically lasting only a few minutes, dust devils becoming visible as they pick up loose red-colored dust leaving the darker and heavier sand beneath intact. On Mars, dust devils can be up to 8 kilometers high. Dust devils have been credited with unexpected cleanings of mars rover solar panels.
looks like a bad tramp stamp.
Really... I thought it was a closeup of Angelina Jolie's butt.
I was going to comment on how much better the Hubble is with the new equipment.
“…air heated…”
What air, please tell me what atmosphere/environment is on mars to begin with to elevate particulate matter; something is wrong with this, or is this being put in the public domain to make news and foster more money for new activities related to Mars? Such as oooowwww, there is something, not sure, yet we have to go see for ourselves; more money please.
First impression, Photoshop’d Tramp Stamp?
Must be the resolution. Not used to such detail from space shots.
FMCDH(BITS)
There is an atmosphere on Mars although it’s pretty thin. There is enough there to use a parachute to decelerate to the surface.
Also, there is enough atmosphere to generate planet wide dust storms. These dust devils are probably a lot bigger than what you see on Earth.
Yes, although my point, is that, remembering correctly, Mars is carbon dioxide/nitrogen; Mars has an atmosphere, although this story is set to leave the impression of Air(H20) is present.
Wow! That’s beautiful! Who KNEW??
Wanna bet somebody has that as a tat inside of a year?
I saw a dust devil once while walking down the sidewalk in Boston.
It was pretty freaky. It looked like a tiny tornado of sand following me down the street.
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