Curiosity’s Hazcam Catches a Dusty Wind Gust

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used one of its Hazard-Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams) to catch this dusty wind gust blowing overhead on March 18, 2022, the 3,418th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Scientists believe it’s a wind gust rather than a dust devil since it doesn’t appear to have the trademark vorticity, or twisting, of a dust devil.

The series of images captured by the Hazcam is viewable in the top image; the bottom image shows the frames after they’ve been processed by change-detection software, which helps the viewer see how the wind gust moves over time.

Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. JPL manages Curiosity’s mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more about Curiosity, visit mars.nasa.gov/msl or www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html.