NASA’s Mars rover records 10 seconds of dust devil on the planet; Details here

Dust whirlwinds, popularly called dust devils, are a common phenomenon on Mars. These winds are part of the weather patterns on the red planet. And recently, scientists revealed the audio of a dust whirlwind or dust devil on Mars, which was recorded by the Perseverance rover of NASA. The audio lasts for about 10 seconds. The audio recording also included a total of 308 impacts on the Perseverance rover from dust grains carried by the dust devil.

Researchers say that the sound recorded by the Perseverance rover is similar to a dust devil on Earth. However, the dust devils on Mars are quieter due to the presence of a thin atmosphere there, which produces less fierce wind and more subdued sounds. The rover had landed on the red planet in February 2021 with a functioning microphone attached to it. The microphone is one of the components of the SuperCam, which is a group of recording devices on the Perseverance rover.




As per NASA's press release, the dimensions of the dust devil were 25 metres (82 feet) wide and at least 118 metres (387 feet) tall. Besides, the space agency noted that the dust devil was moving at around 19 kph (12 mph).

NASA says that it takes some luck to capture a passing dust devil, so rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance keep monitoring for them in all directions.

FAQs:

1. Which rover captured the dust devil on Mars?
   The Perseverance rover of NASA captured the dust devil, also referred to as the dust whirlwinds, on Mars.
2. When did the Perseverance rover land on Mars?
   The Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February 2021.