Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2001 October 1
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the largest version available.

A Global Dust Storm on Mars
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems, MGS, JPL, NASA

Explanation: A dust storm on Mars can involve nearly the entire planet. As spring descended on the southern hemisphere of the red planet this June and July, a global dust storm raged. Pictured above is the storm on July 8 as it spread up from the south, oriented on the lower right. The image was captured by the robot Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft which continues to orbit the red planet. A smaller dust storm is visible in the north to the left of the dark giant volcano Ascraeus Mons. Far-reaching dust storms also occur on planet Earth.

Tomorrow's picture: To Fly Free Above Earth


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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Technical Rep.: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.