Mega Dust Storms | MARS

[music playing]

JIM GREEN: We've been studying the dust storms of Mars for quite some time. And there's a particular season where some of the dust storms can actually go global. Not just regional, but global. Dust storms on Mars can be absolutely enormous. They can be 20 to 30 kilometers high. And in fact, the dust can get charged. And in the case of these really tall dust storms, lightning can strike.

[thunder]

ANDY WEIR: These dust storms are huge. They can cover the entire planet. And they can last for months. They're visible from space. Mars just kind of turns into a hazy red ball. And we can't see surface, uh, features anymore with our satellites. The dust, it's not like sand. It's like talcum powder. It's—it's very, very microscopically small, nasty dust particles. And if they get into your lungs, it's a human safety issue. So, uh, you would want to try to keep it out as much as possible.

STEPHEN PETRANEK: There's a lot of dust on Mars. You know, we've learned from our rovers on Mars that they're constantly getting covered in dust. And one of the problems with solar panels is the dust would cover them almost instantly or they would simply block out the sun so much that they don't work. If you got a dust storm that lasted for a month on Mars, and you were relying on solar power, you'd be in big trouble.