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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Mars Dust Storm Weakens -- But Won't Doom -- Rovers


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A global dust storm engulfed Mars in 2001, as seen in these images taken just as the storm was beginning on June 10 and then as dust blurred the planet's surface on July 31.

A huge dust storm spotted a few weeks ago on Mars is blocking sunlight from reaching NASA's solar-powered rovers Spirit and Opportunity, but experts say a period of regular "naps" will help the robots conserve enough power to survive the tempest.

Image courtesy NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems