The Massive Mars Dust Storm Is Starting to Die Down

space.com ^ | Mike Wall

[BenLurkin]

The dust is finally beginning to clear on Mars, but it'll probably still be a while before NASA's sidelined Opportunity rover can phone home.

A global dust storm has enshrouded Mars for more than a month, plunging the planet's surface into perpetual darkness. That's complicated life significantly for the solar-powered Opportunity, which has apparently put itself into a sort of hibernation; the rover hasn't contacted its controllers since June 10.

Scientists studying the storm "say that, as of Monday, July 23, more dust is falling out than is being raised into the planet's thin air," agency officials added. "That means the event has reached its decay phase, when dust-raising occurs in ever smaller areas, while others stop raising dust altogether."

Other data points support this conclusion. For example, measurements by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show that temperatures in the middle atmosphere have stopped rising, indicating less absorption of solar heat by dust particles.

In addition, NASA's Curiosity rover — which is nuclear-powered and can therefore work through the storm — has observed a decline in overhead dust at its location, the 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) Gale Crater, agency officials said.

[yesthatjallen]

So what caused this global weather event?

Did Martians living underground release too much co2?

Because as we all know, weather events are driven by climate and climate in driven by man and presumably Martians.

[gaijin]

How long until crazed enviro inertia attributes this to earthbound MANKIND...?

Who here really BELIEVES EnviroNuts will EVER permit terraforming on Mars..?

They regard mankind as a PESTILENCE:

If it weren’t for dirty HUMANS (except for me, my family and friends), everything would be FINE...!!!

They will NEVER quit this insanity.

[Revel]

They should built the rovers with a small wind generator that could be popped out during dust storms. Just strong enough to trickle charge the batteries.

[Revel]

“So what caused this global weather event?”

Silly....Everyone knows it was CO2 that escaped from the earth and made it way to Mars.

[Larry Lucido]

NASA's Curiosity rover — which is nuclear-powered and can therefore work through the storm

Show off.

[SunkenCiv]

Martian sidebar:

Mars making closest approach to Earth in 15 years
July 24, 2018 by Marcia Dunn
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-mars-closest-approach-earth-years.html

[Empireoftheatom48]

Watch out for green flashes and cylinders arriving.

[BenLurkin]

[Empireoftheatom48]

Yeah that’s the ticket. Lol

[SunkenCiv]

I don't have respect for alien invaders who can't use one of our restrooms without dropping dead. :^)

[SunkenCiv]

Mars keyword, newest to oldest, first few pages, to the old APoD list:

• Space stations, dark rituals and chorizo: how social media saw the blood moon [2018]
• Putting Boots on Mars Requires a Long-Term Commitment, Experts Tell Senators [2018]
• Mars shocker: Liquid water lake found on the Red Planet [2018]
• See How Huge the Monster Dust Storm on Mars Is in This Stunning Image [2018]
• Former astronaut doubts that NASA or SpaceX will make it to Mars with their shiny new rockets [2018]
• Must See: United States Space Force Releases Insignia Designs (It's Right Out Of Star Trek) [2018]
• Always Go With the Visionary [2018]
• Mysterious Mars rock formation has explosive explanation [2018]
• Trump directs creation of 'space force' as sixth branch of military [2018]
• Trump Enters History Books, Orders Pentagon to Establish a Space Force [2018]
• US President Donald Trump announces 'Space Force' military wing [2018]
• Trump announces he's directing Pentagon to create 'space force' as independent service branch [2018]
• NASA rover knocked out as gigantic dust storm envelops Mars [2018]
• Huge Dust Storm on Mars Hits NASA's Opportunity Rover [2018]
• Chasing Signs of Life, Curiosity Rover Discovers Organic Building Blocks on Mars [2018]
• Building Blocks of Life Found on Mars [2018]
• NASA found something on Mars and it's holding a press conference on Thursday to tell everyone [2018]
• Moon pairs with brightening Mars tonight [2018]
• Populating a Mars Base Will Be Dangerously Unsexy [2018]
• Tiny, Mars-bound satellite snaps its first image of Earth and the Moon [2018]
• LIFTOFF: NASA's Mars InSight on its way to Red Planet [2018]
• NASA is headed back to Mars! Saturday 5 May 18 [2018]
• Where to Watch NASA's InSight Mars Lander Launch from the California Coast [2018]
• Alien World [Mars Meridiani Planum] [2018]
• NASA to replace cracked heat shield in time for Mars 2020 rover launch [2018]
• "Mars rover update: April 27, 2018." [2018]
• "Mars Trace Gas Orbiter begins search for methane" The John Batchelor Show with Robert Zimmerman [2018]
• "Zooming in on a Martian Surprise" [2018]
• "Russia Throws in the Towel" [2018]
• Imaging restrictions on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter [2018]
• Living Underground on Other Worlds. Exploring Lava Tubes [2018]
• A Martian snake of collapsed hills [2018]
• A Spray of Volcanic Ejecta on Mars? [2018]
• Zimmerman/Batchelor Podcast; "SpaceX Supremacy" & "ESA/Roscosmos Rehearsal for Mars 2020." [2018]
• NASA Has a Plan to Put Robot Bees on Mars [2018]
• "Near the Martian shoreline" [2018]
• "Curiosity and more clues of past surface water on Mars." [2018]
• Atlas 5 rocket assembled for first Mars mission launch from Vandenberg [2018]
• Mars Rover Update for March 2018 [2018]
• Mars' oceans formed early, possibly aided by massive volcanic eruptions [2018]
• Russia's Space Agency Might Break Up With the U.S. To Get With China [2018]
• NASA to decide soon whether flying drone will launch with Mars 2020 rover [2018]
• NASA Shapes Science Plan for Deep-Space Outpost Near the Moon [2018]
• Trump: U.S. is going to Mars 'very soon' [2018]
• Elon Musk projects Mars spaceship will be ready for short trips by first half of 2019 [2018]
• Martian Craters go splat! [2018]
• Was there 'Life on Mars?' [2018]
• Scientist Says He's Found Fossilized Alien Footprints On Mars, Blames NASA For Cover-up [2018]
• The Curiosity Rover Just Drilled into a Rock on Mars for 1st Time Since 2016 [2018]
• More Weird Mars Geology; New Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images [2018]
• NASA planetary protection officer suggests loosening limits on exploring Mars for life [2018]
• Elon Musk slammed by Stanford gender researcher for space patriarchy [2018]
• The Little Rover That Could [2018]
• SpaceX's Falcon rocket is a tremendous step toward reasserting American leadership in space [2018]
• What's the condition of the 1909 Lincoln, V.D.B. cent on Mars? [2018]
• A Good Health Check for Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter, but....HiRISE Camera a concern [2018]
• America Will Dominate the Heavens Under Donald Trump: Mike Pence [2018]
• Mars Rover Update [2018]
• A Tesla Roadster is Launched to Mars, and a New Space Age Begins [2018]
• cont'd

[Captain Rhino]

Not one of the Marine Corps’ finer moments

< / sarcasm>

[SoCal Pubbie]

That was actually the Arizona National Guard.

[Captain Rhino]

Perhaps so as to which service supplied the extras, equipment, etc. But the actors in the command post scene (remember the colonel’s exagerrated pronunciation of “Three?”) had sateen utility uniforms with USMC shirt pocket emblems. QED, the ANG soldiers are Marines.

BTW, the comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and is certainly done fairly as my 23 years of service were all USMC.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Of course, I knew you were kidding. And I know the troops are from Camp Pendleton in the story. But those were actually members of the AZ Guard in action scenes showing tanks and trucks. The Army, USMC, and CA Guard didn’t want to look helpless against an alien threat. The footage that was supposed to be around Chino in So Cal was actually shot in Arizona. If you closed at the landscape you can tell.

[aspasia]

So what caused this global weather event?

Report back for programming. We are now talking "space weather." BTW, only the technocratic special forces have access to data.