- Original Caption Released with Image:
-
08 August 2004
The martian atmosphere is an artist. It uses narrow
vortices of spinning air to disrupt thin coatings of dust on the surface.
In some regions, over time, hundreds of dust devils may streak across the
landscape, creating patterns like the one shown in this Mars Global
Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. The picture, acquired in
February 2004, is located near 64.1°S, 297.3°W, and covers an area about
3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.
- Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
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