Fact Sheet
Martian Dust-Up
A giant dust storm covered much of Mars earlier this year, threatening the two rovers that have operated on Mars for almost four years. These two images show how the storm progressed. At top, the surface is clearly visible from the orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, even though wisps of dust are already showing up, and a thick cloud of dust is visible at top left. (The dark areas are gaps in the camera's data.) At bottom, in a picture of the same region taken four weeks later, almost none of the surface is visible. The Opportunity rover is inside the small white circle in the two pictures. [NASA/JPL/MSSS]
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