NASA’s Mars Rover Perseverance captured the sound made by a dust devil. Yeah, we’re not kidding, and you can listen to it here.
The way the trend is growing, you might want to visit Mars. Well, that is very unlikely to happen, unfortunately. However, that shouldn’t spoil your mood too much since you can experience what it feels like to be on Mars, at least what some things look like. NASA’s Mars Rover Perseverance captured the sound made by a dust devil. Yeah, we’re not kidding, and you can listen to it here.
How did this happen? By chance, the rover’s microphone was triggered when a rotating tower of red dust passed right in the sky and recorded the sound.
So what is a dust devil? A dust devil is a whirlwind of red dust particles, short-lived, but rolling with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour.
So, what does a dust devil sound like on Mars? Mars’ thin atmosphere makes these dust devils quieter, unlike the dust devils on Earth. When a dust devil hits the rover, the navigator’s camera takes pictures of it, and pictures it weather monitoring devices that collected the data.
This dust devil is 400 feet tall, 80 feet wide, and traveling at 16 feet per second. According to the scientists, it was fortunate that the devil appeared in those three minutes of the day when the rover’s microphone was turned on. Otherwise, there was absolutely no chance of him being caught.
These recordings help scientists study Martian winds, atmospheric turbulence, and dust movements. The rocks there may contain microbes life This, in turn, helps scientists understand Joe Mars.
So, what does a dust devil sound like on Mars? Listen to the recording below:
Perseverance has collected 18 samples that will be brought to Earth for further research. Helicopter Ingenuity is also busy working there and has logged many of the longest 3-minute flights.