TAPE: Dust sound from NASA and fade under
That’s the sound of a “dust devil” pelting NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars. It’s the first time scientists have heard what this whirl of dust sounds like on another planet. The recording is very subtle, but listen closely [ put sound here, too] - you’re hearing 25-mile-per-hour winds and hundreds of particles hitting the rover and its built-in microphone. Here it is again…
TAPE: Fade tape back up
It sounds like a dust devil on Earth, but it’s a bit quieter on Mars because of the thin atmosphere. Dust devils are common on the red planet, and the one captured was a pretty average storm…but a pretty significant moment for science.