NASA's Perseverance rover watches as 2 Mars dust devils merge into 1 (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured a giant dust devil devouring a smaller storm swirling close behind it on the rim of Jezero Crater.
Martian dust devils are spinning columns of warm air that pick up dust and debris as they move across the surface of the Red Planet. Perseverance spied the two merging storms on Jan. 25, while exploring the western rim of Mars' Jezero Crater at a location called "Witch Hazel Hill."
"Convective vortices — aka dust devils — can be rather fiendish," Mark Lemmon, a Perseverance scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement from NASA sharing the video footage of the merging storms.
"These mini-twisters wander the surface of Mars, picking up dust as they go and lowering the visibility in their immediate area," Lemmon added. "If two dust devils happen upon each other, they can either obliterate one another or merge, with the stronger one consuming the weaker."
Related: Perseverance rover: Everything you need to know
RELATED STORIES:
— Perseverance rover spots its 1st dust devil on Mars
— Perseverance Mars rover figures out how devils and winds fill the Red Planet's skies with dust
— Mars dust storm mysteries remain as scientists study the Red Planet
Perseverance captured images of the Red Planet storms using one of its navigation cameras. The rover was about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) from the two merging storms, which were approximately 16 feet (5 meters) wide and 210 feet (65 m) wide, respectively.
"Dust devils play a significant role in Martian weather patterns," Katie Stack Morgan, project scientist for the Perseverance rover at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in the statement. "Dust devil study is important because these phenomena indicate atmospheric conditions, such as prevailing wind directions and speed, and are responsible for about half the dust in the Martian atmosphere."
In addition to the two merging dust storms captured in the video foreground, two other dust devils can be seen in the background to the left and center, highlighting just how frequently such storms occur on Mars.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rocket carrying student experiments to launch from Wallops Island
WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) — Some Hampton Roads residents might be able to catch a glimpse of a rocket launch early Thursday morning. According to the Wallops Flight Facility, a sounding rocket carrying student experiments is set to launch from Wallops Island as part of NASA's RockOn and RockSat-C student flight programs. The launch is weather dependent, but is expected to start around 5:30 a.m. A release states that the student experiments will be on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket. Individuals who would like to see a glimpse of the launch will be able to visit the Wallops Visitor Center's launch viewing area starting at 5 a.m. The launch will also be streamed on the Wallops YouTube channel here. For more information on the launch, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who is Peggy Whitson? Record-holding Iowa astronaut returns to space on Axiom 4 mission
Astronaut Peggy Whitson, an Iowa native, has spent hundreds of days living among the stars during her career with NASA and Axiom Space. So, what's two more weeks? Whitson, a veteran astronaut and two-time commander of the International Space Station, is on her way back to the orbital outpost for her fifth stint. The cosmic voyage, coming seven years after her retirement from NASA, is her second with Axiom Space – a commercial spaceflight company based in Houston, Texas. The expedition, known as Axiom Mission 4, got off the ground in the early hours of Wednesday, June 25, following the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. Now that the Dragon capsule that Whitson and her crew are aboard has separated from the rocket, the spacecraft will spend the next day completing a trip to the space station. In the meantime, here's what to know about Whitson and her storied career as both a government and private astronaut. Born in one of Iowa's smallest towns, Beaconsfield, Whitson graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1978 — the same year NASA started accepting women in the astronaut program — before receiving degrees in biology and chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College and a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University. More: Is there life on Mars? This Iowa astronaut thinks so — and she wants to find it. From the moment she walked into the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Whitson's goal was to be in orbit. She was rejected from the astronaut program four times, continuing to apply herself as a researcher and genetic engineer for nearly a decade before she was accepted into a training class in 1996 as a NASA astronaut. She retired from NASA in 2018 before embarking on another spaceflight career in the private sector. After joining Axiom Space as the company's director of human spaceflight, Whitson became the first female commander of a commercial space mission in 2023 following the launch of Ax-2. Whitson, 65, is leading a crew of spacefarers selected for the latest Axiom Space mission to the International Space Station. Under Whitson's command are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and two mission specialists: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, who is part of the European Space Agency's reserve astronaut class, and Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary. When they reach the station, the astronauts of Ax-4 are due to spend about 14 days conducting scientific experiments in microgravity on behalf of organizations around the world. Coming more than two years after her most recent spaceflight, the Axiom Mission 4 venture represents Whitson's fifth trip to the International Space Station. Whitson's first three spaceflight missions were as a NASA astronaut, beginning with Expedition 5 in 2002. Whitson served as a flight engineer during the six-month mission from June to December at the orbital outpost, during which she and two Russian cosmonauts conducted research into how microgravity affects plants and the human body. In October 2007, Whitson returned to the space station for Expedition 16 – this time as the mission commander. During the six-month rotation, Whitson helped conduct various research and also oversaw the first expansion of the station's living and working space in more than six years. That included the addition of the Harmony module – still widely used for docking spacecraft to this day. Whitson's final trip to space before retiring from NASA came in 2016, when she served as commander once again for Expedition 50. The lengthy voyage lasted 289 days and stretched into Expedition 51 and Expedition 52, during which time Whitson contributed to hundreds of scientific experiments. In the course of her spacefaring career, Whitson has accumulated a number of accolades and records for NASA. Only four NASA astronauts have spent more consecutive days in space than Whitson following her 289-day voyage between 2016 and 2017. Whitson's long-duration spaceflight, in fact, was just three days longer than that of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — the NASA astronauts who recently made headlines when their voyage aboard the Boeing Starliner led to an unexpected extended 286-day mission at the ISS. But to this day, no American astronaut has spent more days in space overall than the cumulative 675 days Whitson has lived among the stars since 2002. Earlier in 2025, Suni Williams surpassed Whitson's record for the most total time any woman has spent on spacewalks. After completing the ninth spacewalk of her career in late January, Williams has now spent 62 hours and 6 minutes suited up in the vacuum of space. Williams' recent spacewalk, often referred to as extra-vehicular activity in space agency parlance, broke Whitson's record of 60 hours and 21 minutes set in 2017. Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@ or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Who is Peggy Whitson? Record-holding astronaut leads Axiom 4 mission
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who Can Build on the Moon? Understanding the Wild West of Lunar Architecture
Photo: Foster + Partners If all goes to plan, by 2040 people may be living on the moon in houses made—essentially—from mushrooms. At least, that's how astrobiologist Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild is picturing it. She imagines domed habitats that could comfortably host three bedrooms, with spectacular views of space beyond their large windows. Under an inflatable shell, they would be made of mycelium, a root-like fungal structure, something of an alternative building material heroine, lauded for its durability; versatility; and water-, mold-, and fire-resistant properties. Here on Earth, it's been used to make bricks for construction, furniture, and even shoes. 'Mycelium has low flammability and great acoustic properties. It can be made so that it is highly insulating,' says Rothschild, who works at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. Rothschild and her team are just one of several research groups exploring the possibilities of what a moon base might look like: China and Russia are aiming to create a lunar nuclear power plant, Foster + Partners is working with the European Space Agency to 3D-print a lunar habitat, and Japan hopes to establish its own surface colony, to name a few. With all of these projects in the works, it begs the question: Who is actually allowed to start building? In this article Who can build on the moon? How might lunar real estate be divided? What would homes actually look like on the moon? Where would moon homes be located? There's a reason that Star Trek dubbed outer space 'the final frontier.' Establishing settlements on extraterrestrial bodies is a bit like claiming land in the former Wild West—whoever can reach it first can plant their flag, with some limits. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and 2020's Artemis Accords state that no one country can own the moon and set guidelines for lunar conduct. However, individuals can explore, build structures, and mine the moon for its minerals. To this end, the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and India have all successfully landed lunar rovers, however, the US is the only country to have sent humans to the moon's surface. All are currently vying for a piece of its real estate: Japanese private space exploration company ispace is aiming to match the US's 2040 timeline for lunar habitats. However, it is currently stalled by multiple failed missions to land a probe on the moon. Meanwhile, China and Russia are partnering on a project called the International Lunar Research Station that claims construction will begin after 2028. The duo is considering powering it with a nuclear plant. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Serbia, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, and Venezuela have also signed on to the project, though official designs for the station and plant have yet to be released. Should several countries be successful in building a moon base, research centers, habitats, or even a power plant on the moon's surface, each would be operated and occupied by its nation's astronauts and partners. They would be laid out similar to the way Antarctica's permanent research stations are plotted across its icy tundra, loosely clustered by global region but more on a first-come, first-flag-planted basis. To some, that's concerning. In January, World Monuments Fund (WMF) included the moon on its 2025 World Monuments Watch because of potential for new explorers and exploiters to damage it and its 'over 90 historic sites and countless artifacts, including the Apollo 11 lander, Neil Armstrong's first footprint, and the goodwill messages disc from 72 nations,' describes WMF CEO Bénédicte de Montclair. 'Existing frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty and Artemis Accords acknowledge space heritage but lack enforcement mechanisms,' she says. 'International cooperation—modeled after the Antarctic Treaty—could establish binding protections.' The United States isn't necessarily focused on founding habitats where historic moon sites or artifacts exist. NASA's Moon to Mars plan, which aims to establish homes on the surfaces of the moon and Mars (perhaps with the application of Rothschild's research), is focused on the South Pole. However, that isn't to say that other astronauts—or even private companies—with the ability to reach the moon wouldn't potentially damage these important sites. By 2040, NASA aims to have constructed long-term habitats on the lunar surface and will later do the same on Mars. To do so, however, isn't as simple as blasting traditional framing materials up to space during the next rocket launch. In addition to wanting to avoid steel or wood beams occupying valuable square footage inside spaceships, building on the moon requires specific architecture that can handle its thin, non-breathable atmosphere, which causes extreme temperature fluctuations and offers no protection from radiation nor meteoroid impacts. To that end, some NASA projects explore using the moon's own surface material to construct our future homes in combination with advanced building technologies currently being perfected here on Earth. 'Earth-based [building] innovations—focused on thermal regulation, resource efficiency, and structural resilience—serve as a foundation for designing lunar habitats that can withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and micrometeorite impacts, ensuring long-term human survival beyond Earth,' explains Irene Gallou, a senior partner at architecture firm Foster + Partners, which has been working with NASA on designs for lunar and Martian habitats since 2015. Foster + Partners's lunar designs, which were on view recently at the Kennedy Center exhibition 'Earth to Space: Arts Breaking the Sky,' will 'rely on 3D printing, robotic assembly, and leveraging local materials derived from lunar regolith [the moon's topsoil] to create sustainable, cost-effective habitats,' Gallou says. Similar to 3D-printed homes on Earth, the building process would require that autonomous robotic printers, and perhaps inflatable scaffolding, be delivered to the site before construction can begin. A regolith material mix could take the place of typical concrete or mortar. Rothschild's fungal mycelia structures offer an even greener building method, which could eschew the need for large machine deliveries. 'On Earth, 'life' is a very common building material, from animal skins and bones in very early habitats to the wooden structures of today,' she explains. 'There are a lot of great reasons for biological materials—we have chosen one that should be ideal off-planet.' Adding to the list of benefits, a dark-colored fungi could mean stronger protections from UV rays and solar and galactic radiation. Plus it could be composted when no longer needed. 'It also has great biophilic psychological properties,' Rothschild adds, referencing the idea that incorporating nature into the built environment can reduce stress and improve cognitive function for residents, among other benefits. Lunar habitats would likely be located where the moon can offer the best resources. Rothschild's research, for example, explores the idea that fungus could grow lunar housing on site—just add water. There is evidence of ice in the deep, shadowed craters on the moon's South Pole—hence, where NASA and China are concentrating current missions—but harnessing it will be difficult. One solution Rothschild's team is exploring is pre-growing mycelia with wood chips inside an inflatable structure on Earth, then popping it up after transport to the moon to allow the structure to solidify. 'We would hope to use water that is already available on the moon to save mass required to carry water from Earth,' she adds. Aside from potential water sources, the lunar South Pole is a good location for habitats due to its 'near constant illumination, ideal for generating power via solar cells,' Gallou says. Foster + Partners and Branch Technology recently designed and prototyped a 164-foot-tall power-collecting solar tower for NASA, which could generate energy for self-sufficient live-work structures. Like on Earth, humans in lunar habitats will need the essentials—food, water, and shelter. If the Moon proves it can provide all three, it could become a place that we also call home. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest More Great Stories From AD Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now. Pamela Anderson's Renaissance Started in Her Home Garden: 'That's Where I Found Myself Again' The Best Country to Live in: Our Top Picks for 2025 Inside Julio Torres's Williamsburg Mysterious Palace
