Rather gorgeous new dust devil photographed by HiRISE, and it's a monster...

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_026394_2160

My take:

Click to view attachment

... from: http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2012/04/0...ther-dust-devil

Nice pic! - and it makes the one seen last month look like a tiddler...

It does indeed...

Click to view attachment

I did not see a little frame house twirling around in that.


But going serious, that is an amazing picture. I don't see that kind of detail in dust devils in my area, and that picture was from a camera in orbit!

They made a movie clip of both dust devils.
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_026394_2160

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/media/clips/...ve-03-30-12.mov

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/media/clips/...tDevil-R003.mov

And don't forget to check out the CTX image. Yow!

Wow! Imagine photographing that from a nearby (not too nearby!) lander. Would make some of Spirit's catches look like tiddlers indeed.

Hasn't there been some suggestion that the interiors of these things are highly electrified?

Which brings me to a question. What is the DD potential in the MSL landing ellipse? Not great I imagine, but maybe Im dead wrong!

P

Yes, potentially thousands of volts per meter.


Don't know exactly, but it seems that nearly all places on the planet see DDs occasionally at least.

I noted this on Sciencedaily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/...20406105725.htm

And logged in but as usual you guys and guyettes were already onto the news.
From the size it could almost be said to be like a tornado. But no or very little water vapor contribute, so I guess dust devil it is. Still a behemoth though.