A sight which is familiar on Earth has now been noticed on Mars. NASA's Curiosity Rover has revealed an incredible footage which shows whirlwinds blowing across the planet's surface carrying sand. These winds are known as dust devils.
The image was shared by NASA, giving a glimpse of the moving sand on the Red Planet. It also explains how the patterns in the sand have come to exist, along with the effect of wind erosion on the planet.
What Does Footage Show?
NASA reportedly said that the main aim of capturing such pictures was to investigate the wind's effects on Mars. The effect was to be determined during the Martian summer, as NASA believes this span to be the windiest time of the year in the Gale Crater.
The footage consist of the images captured in one single day. The first image was snapped on Jan. 23, while the second image was taken by the Curiosity Rover a day later on Jan. 24.
The images recorded a patch of ground of about 3 feet (approx. 1 meter) wide. The images showing the shifting-sands were recorded with a downward-facing camera. While recording the images, the rover was stationary. Researchers believe that this mysterious feature is supported by the patterns caused long time ago and wind erosion, which was captured by Curiosity.
Other Revelations By Curiosity Rover
The Red Planet may be lifeless, but definitely not listless. NASA's Curiosity Rover's first ride to Mars was in 2011, where it landed in the Gale Crater in 2012. Ever since it traveled to Mars, it has driven about 10 miles (16 kilometers).
NASA has reported that the Curiosity Rover has relayed several pictures and footage since then, revealing the fact that wind has carved out several valleys and mountains on the rugged surface of the Red Planet over billions of years.
The wind on the Mars' surface has gradually shaped and reshaped its desert landscape. However, the wind there is less forceful as compared to our planet, as its atmosphere is around 100 times thinner than the Earth's.
The rover has earlier captured several geological features on the planet including the sloping hillside on Mount Sharp, the formation of finely layered rocks believed to have been deposited by the wind, as well as sloping buttes and layered outcrops in the Murray Buttes region.
Scientists are finding this data to be very helpful in solving the puzzling phenomena of existence of a layered mountain in the middle of the Gale Crater on Mars.
The entire footage can be seen in the video below, which has been recorded by NASA's Curiosity Rover.
