A Dust Devil Swirling on Mars
What is that wisp on the horizon? Scientists think that the slight white apparition is actually a Martian dust devil that was caught swirling across Mars . The above image was taken earlier this month by the robotic rover Spirit . The swirling cloud was found by comparing the above image to a previous image of the same area. Fresh dust devil tracks have been seen on Mars before, but actually seeing one up close was a surprise. The most similar phenomena to Martian dust devils on Earth are terrestrial dust devils , tornadoes and waterspouts . The ultimate cause of Martian dust devils remains unknown, but might be related to rising air heated by sun-warmed rocks and soil. Just the previous day, Spirit's power acquisition increased unexpectedly , possibly the result of a dust devil passing near or over the Spirit rover and effectively cleaning its solar panels .