Mars Rovers at Risk!
Published on 26 Jul 2007 at 12:03 am.
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Filed under Astronomy, Exploration, Mars, Robotics, Space.
A global dust storm has developed on Mars enveloping the red planet in a shroud of red dust. At times up to 99% of the sunlight is blocked out, and NASA scientists fear that the rover’s batteries will not last until the storm subsides. The Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been actively exploring Mars for about three and a half years now. The missions were expected to last only three months!
The sequence of photos below, taken by Opportunity, shows the darkening skies due to the onset of the dust storm over the last month, from Sol 1205 through 1235. A more detailed picture can be found on Astronomy Picture of the Day.
To see the extent and severity of this global storm, check out this time lapse movie of Mars’ surface over the last month. Note that the surface features all but disappear. Mars’ global storms can last many weeks, and it is unclear whether the rovers can hold out.
Kevin Knuth
Albany NY
