6 Jun 2016

PSI Senior Scientist Jim Rice shared a new image from the NASA Opportunity Rover’s Navigation Camera (NavCam) that shows a gorgeous dust devil on Mars, the best one scientists have seen in the Meridiani Planum in more than 12 years of exploration.

Above, the rover’s NavCam captured this dust devil image on Sol 4332 (April 1, 2016) while driving westward near the base of Knudsen Ridge which forms the southern wall of Marathon Valley located along the western rim of Endeavour Crater. This view is looking downslope and eastward and out across the floor of Endeavour Crater. The rover’s tracks are visible in the foreground and the far eastern rim of Endeavour Crater is visible some 14 miles away in the background.