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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Captures Rare Dust Devil Interaction on Mars

The rover documented a larger dust devil consuming a smaller one at Jezero Crater, offering new insights into Martian atmospheric dynamics.

NASA's Perseverance rover spots a large dust devil on Mars swallowing another smaller dust devil in images recorded on Jan. 25, 2025.
Screengrabs of new footage from NASA's Perseverance Rover, capturing dust devils on Mars.
Image
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS/INTA-CSIC/Space Science Institute/ISAE-Supaero/University of Arizona

Overview

  • On January 25, 2025, NASA’s Perseverance rover recorded a video of a larger dust devil, approximately 210 feet wide, consuming a smaller one, about 16 feet wide, at the rim of Jezero Crater.
  • Two additional dust devils were observed in the background, further highlighting the dynamic and unpredictable nature of Martian weather phenomena.
  • Dust devils, formed by rising and rotating columns of warm air, are responsible for about half the dust in Mars' atmosphere and play a significant role in shaping its weather patterns.
  • This observation adds to Perseverance’s history of capturing Martian dust devils, including the first audio recording of one in September 2021.
  • The rover’s ongoing exploration of Jezero Crater aims to study Mars’ geology, climate, and potential signs of ancient microbial life, with findings contributing to future human exploration.