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Explanation: If you've been unhappy with the weather on Earth, check out Mars, now in the grip of a planet-wide dust storm. Above, observations from the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft illustrate the storm's progress through July 21. The series of dated frames show measurements from the MGS Thermal Emission Spectrometer which can determine both temperature and amount of atmospheric dust. Dust data has been plotted on maps of the martian surface with blue representing relatively clear atmosphere and red colors indicating increasing concentrations of dust. In mid June, scientists first noticed the beginnings of the storm in Mars' southern hemisphere and have watched it grow to obscure most of the planet. Unfortunately for Mars-watchers, the timing of the storm has hidden the Red Planet's surface from view during its period of close approach to planet Earth.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: dust storm - Mars
Publications with words: dust storm - Mars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 15 B Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 B The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 29 B Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 22 B A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
- APOD: 2025 June 15 B Two Worlds One Sun
- Perseverance Selfie with Ingenuity
- Deimos Before Sunrise