The Perseverance rover was able to record the sound of the “dust devil” – a large swirl of dust, one of many on the Red Planet. This happened on September 27, 2021, but the audio recording (combined with video recording) was published only now.
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It took the scientists an accurate calculation and a bit of luck to make such a recording: since Perseverance only captures sound for less than three minutes and only eight times a month, the specialists had to predict the most likely time and place of the appearance of the “dust devil”. This time they were lucky – they managed to capture it on camera (this is not the first time) and record it on a microphone. Scientists estimate that the recorded vortex was 25 meters wide and 118 meters high, but it did not damage the rover (and is considered relatively small).
In the video recording, the average person will not hear anything different from the usual wind blowing on Earth, but for scientists, this audio recording is very useful. Specialists were able to hear individual impacts of dust grains on the rover and count them, and this will help to better understand the dust on Mars. This is important because it greatly complicates missions on the Red Planet: dust can destroy spacecraft heat shields, damage scientific instruments, disable parachutes, or stick around solar panels.
Source: Trash Box
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
