NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft recently caught
sight of a dust devil dancing across the Martian surface. It’s
not the first of the tornado-like weather systems to be found
on Mars, but it’s another reminder that Mars is an ever-
changing planet.
Dr. Ken Edgett, a staff scientist at Malin Space Science
Systems in San Diego, Calif., regularly tracks the dust devils
and other surface features on Mars. As the operator of the
Surveyor orbiter’s camera, he is one of the first to see
fascinating images of the red planet. Dr. Edgett recently
discussed the importance of dust devils and how they transform
the look of Mars.
Edgett’s conversation and the latest dust devil pictures
are at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/features/dustdevils
JPL manages the Mars Exploration Program for NASA’s
Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of
the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
