ESA publishes images of “dust demons”
The European Space Agency (ESA) has published an image from Mars depicting “dust devils” – powerful dust storms.
The image was taken using the CaSSIS camera on board the Trace Gas Orbiter. This space device operates under the joint ESA-Roscosmos Exploration of Mars (ExoMars) program.
The image shown shows one of about 30 “chaotic terrain” areas.
This term refers to groups of stones of various shapes and sizes, ridges, flat mounds, as well as conical ridges located randomly on the surface of the planet.
The bluish color, in turn, highlights the effects of dust swirls, thanks to the use of three filters when creating the image.
The Dust Demons left trails running from north to south. This allows you to determine the prevailing wind directions.
The Trace Gas Orbiter was launched in 2016 and its scientific mission began in 2018. The main task of the device is to explain the origin of methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere, which may indicate biological activity. It can send pictures, monitor the gas flow, and determine where the water is.
