The Dust Devils of Mars

Beautiful images from another world, of a delicate, ephemeral phenomenon

On the freezing, dry surface of Mars, small disturbances in the thin atmosphere frequently spin up whirlwinds that dance across dunes and plains, kicking up light dust and leaving dark trails. These dust devils and their swirling tracks have been observed by rovers and orbiters for many years now, as scientists learn more about Mars’s atmospheric system and its surface features. The whirlwinds last only moments, and their trails remain for mere weeks, or months, as new dust storms blow in to erase them and the cycle begins again. Gathered below, beautiful images from another world, of this delicate, ephemeral phenomenon.