Tech
A great and powerful Martian dust devil swallows another in new video
Something about this time of year on Mars is reminiscent of 1939's The Wizard of Oz.
Maybe it's the ruddiness of the planet that gives off its own natural sepia tone like we see in Victor Fleming's film adaptation. Maybe it's the tornadoes, sometimes so tall they seem like they could lift more than a few farmhouses.
But one thing's for sure about these freakish alien dust devils: You're definitely not in Kansas if you see them. More like 140 million miles over the rainbow in space.
Though scientists have long known the hazards of the wind phenomenons churning up Martian dirt, NASA's Perseverance rover, a Mini Cooper-sized lab on six wheels, just caught a rare sight: one mega dust devil devouring another. Despite how often these whirlwinds occur, interactions between them are seldom observed.
"Convective vortices — aka dust devils — can be rather fiendish," said Mark Lemmon, a Perseverance scientist at the Space Science Institute in Colorado, in a statement. "These mini twisters wander the surface of Mars, picking up dust as they go and lowering the visibility in their immediate area. If two dust devils happen upon each other, they can either obliterate one another or merge, with the stronger one consuming the weaker."
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The video featured in the X post above, recorded on Jan. 25 at the Jezero Crater rim, shows a large dust devil — about 210 feet wide — overtaking a much smaller one, at just 16 feet across. As they collide, the weaker dust devil vanishes into the stronger one. Two other dust devils spin in the background. At the time, the rover was watching from about a half-mile away.
Dust devils on Mars form similarly to those on Earth, despite the fact that Mars' atmosphere is much thinner. They tend to happen on dry days when the ground gets hotter than the surrounding area. Typically smaller than tornadoes, dust devils are whirlwinds that make a funnel-like chimney, channeling hot air up and around. The rotating wind then accelerates similar to the way spinning ice skaters move faster as they bring their arms closer to their bodies.
This Martian phenomenon leaves tracks — straight lines, curves, and curlicues — wherever it has traveled. Their color is a result of picking up the light dust that coats virtually all of the Red Planet and exposing layers of dark volcanic rocks.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UA
The latest footage provides new insight into how these swirling columns of wind and dust interact with each other and the Martian atmosphere. Roughly half of the planet’s airborne dust is thought to come from them.
"Dust devils play a significant role in Martian weather patterns," said Katie Stack Morgan, a Perseverance project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement. "Dust devil study is important because these phenomena indicate atmospheric conditions, such as prevailing wind directions and speed."
Taking a picture of a dust devil isn’t easy. Unlike hurricanes or thunderstorms on Earth, this kind of foul weather shows up without warning. Perseverance regularly scans the landscape for them on the off-chance it might catch one in action. Scientists study the rover's images for trends, such as what time of day dust devils tend to be more active and where they come from.
NASA’s Viking orbiters were the first spacecraft to photograph the dust devils in the 1970s. Two decades later, the Pathfinder lander captured one from the ground and even detected a dust devil passing over it. Since then, a handful of other robots have observed the phenomena, with Perseverance recording the first audio of a whirlwind in 2021.
In the rover's latest video, the life of the slighter dust devil is abruptly cut short by a superior twister. But one probably didn't outlive the other by much, Lemmon said. Martian dust devils only last about 10 minutes.
SAVE $100: The Nutri Ninja Personal & Countertop Blender is on sale at Amazon for $149.99, down from the normal price of $249.99. That's a 40% discount.
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We never thought a blender would become a major character in one of this year's most anticipated shows, but add it to the list of things we didn't see coming in 2025. The White Lotus featured a blender in almost every episode of the third season, and if it's been making you consider that your home blender could use an upgrade, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of April 8, the Nutri Ninja Personal & Countertop Blender is on sale for $149.99, marked down from the normal price of $249.99. That's a savings of $100 thanks to the 40% discount.
Serving as a full-size countertop blender and a personal smoothie maker, the Nutri Ninja is a versatile appliance that deserved space in your kitchen. The large pitcher holds an impressive 72 ounces which is perfect for blending up a batch of piña colada for the whole family.
But this model also includes personal to-go cups that fit on the blender base, so you'll be able to make your own drink in a single cup without using the main pitcher. The to-go cups measure 18, 24, and 32 ounces, so you have some options for making your smoothie ready to head out the door.
The 1200W motor base comes with all the functions you're looking for in a blender. Frozen drinks/smoothies, puree, blend, and ultra blend are the pre-set blender functions, but you'll also get pulse, low, medium, and high buttons. Many of these functions come equipped with Ninja's Auto-iQ technology which takes over the timing guesswork, so you can walk away from the blender and it'll reach the desired texture and turn off all on its own.
The to-go cup, the large pitcher, and the included lids are all dishwasher-safe, so there's no need to spend time handwashing.
From protein shakes during the day to piña coladas by night, the Nutri Ninja Personal & Countertop Blender is there to provide. Today's discount that saves you $100, making it a more affordable option. Someone tell the Ratliff's about this sale.
SAVE 50%: The Blink Mini 2 home security camera is just $19.99 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $39.99. That's a savings of $20 and a sale price that matches the lowest we've ever seen.
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Now that the work-from-home era seems to be ending (sob), keeping an eye on your home while you're away feels more attractive than ever. Between wondering if the dog is eating the couch to hoping the delivered package isn't getting drenched in the rain, adding some security cameras to your home is wise. Even smarter is grabbing them with this deal at Amazon.
As of April 8, the new Blink Mini 2 home security camera is just $19.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $39.99. That's a 50% discount that shaves $20 off the list price. Today's sale price also matches the lowest we've ever spotted.
For under $20, the Blink Mini 2 packs in the features. For starters, it's designed to use indoors or outside. The materials are weatherproof, so there's no need for concern about a summer rain squall. But it's also great for adding inside to keep an eye on pets. You can also place it in the nursery to have immediate access to see if the baby is still napping.
The Blink Mini 2 comes with motion detection so you can get real-time notifications on your phone about what the camera is picking up. The 1080p resolution is nice, as is the night view in color. If you're using this model outside, the built-in spotlight is fantastic and there's two-way audio.
Set-up is simple, but keep in mind the Blink Mini 2 is wired, so you'll need to use it near a power source. If you're opting to place it outside, you'll want to grab the weather-resistant power adapter. The camera and outdoor-worthy plug are available as a bundle that's currently on sale for $29.98. Otherwise, the Blink Mini 2 deal comes with the camera, a mounting kit, stand, USB cable, and power adapter.
If you're ready to ramp up your home's security, it doesn't get much better than a camera for under $20. Since the Blink Mini 2 is 50% off, it's smart to jump on it sooner rather than later, since there's no telling when it'll go back to full price.
SAVE $62.80: As of April 8, get the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $157.19 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $219.99. That's a discount of 29%.
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When you're shopping for a new tablet, you've got a wide variety of options to choose from. While you can't go wrong with an iPad, Samsung has a selection of reliable tablets to choose from as well. There are some mid-tier options that you can get for a great price that can help you get things done without breaking the bank as well, evidenced by this deal from Amazon today.
As of April 8, get the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $157.19 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $219.99. That's $62.80 off, or a discount of 29%.
This 11-inch tablet boasts a 1920 x 1200 screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, 480 nits of brightness, and quad speakers powered by Dolby Atmos. That means you get a crisp display with great sound, with 4GM of RAM, up to 1TB of expandable storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 69 processor under the hood. All that adds up to a powerful, lightweight tablet that can do whatever you need for under $200.
Multitasking is made easy with the Galaxy Tab A9+'s snappy performance, so you can watch your favorite shows and movies and play all the games you want or get work done on the go without having to wait for your tablet to get with the program. It's also easy to send files to and from thanks to its Quick Share functionality.
If you're looking for a new tablet for yourself or even for a younger member of your family, this is a fantastic pick that likely won't last long at this price, so be sure to snap one up while you can.
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