On the surface of Mars, the atmosphere is so razor thin that future colonizers would be wise to build an underground solar radiation bunker. But there's still enough atmosphere to make some truly astounding sounds. Sounds like humanity was lucky to pick up thanks to NASA's Perseverance rover.
Thanks to newly processed and encoded data gathered in September of 2021, we now know that Martian dust storms also called dust devils, sound eerily familiar to the winds here on Earth. It started with the rover's navigation camera spotting what appeared like purple flickers through its lens. In fact, each of these specs was a quickly amassing formation of Martian regolith swirling around the vicinity of Perseverance.
Here on Earth, dust devils can take shape anywhere a pocket of warm air rapidly rises through patches of cold air, thus creating a vortex. If there's sufficient enough dust in the surrounding area, the results look very similar to what scientists have observed on Mars both on the surface and in orbit around the planet.
Through live data taken as the dust devil passed overhead, we can see just how changes in atmospheric pressure bring forth a torrent of ultra-fine grain Martian soil. Through microphones integrated into the Perseverance Rover's cameras, we can hear firsthand how ominous and almost creepy Martian dust devils sound up close and personal.
What might be the most disconcerting aspect of this new data is how uncannily similar Martian dust devils sound compared to a moderately stiff breeze here on Earth. But the constant reminder this dust devil was on the barren, hostile soils of Mars is always there to tell us this would be no picnic to experience in the flesh.
Not that a Martian dust devil would cause you any bodily harm. The atmosphere is so paper thin that what would be harmed most of all is not humans but all the electronics now on the fritz after being pelted with red regolith. It's just another in the countless set of hurdles between us and Elon Musk's planned Mars colony.
Google News