Fast read about Mars’ dust storms

Dust storms rarely occur on the Red Planet. The last one was recorded in 2007 and lasted for months. Same will happen with the current planetary storm, due to end in 2019. Mars is much smaller and less dense than Earth so its gravitational acceleration is lower, preventing the particles from settling down immediately. Maybe most of you have watched the movie The Martian, starring Matt Damon. One of the major errors of the movie is the violence of the wind on Mars during these storms. The Red Planet has a very thin and rarefied atmosphere, with a surface pressure of 0,6% relative to Earth. It is impossible for the Martian climate to generate strong winds (shame on you, Matt Damon, for lying to us!!). The current problem with the Opportunity Rover is the lack of visibility and the amount of particles that might engulf it. Let’s hope Opportunity will overcome its greatest challenge in its 14 year mission on Mars. – Roman Alexander