It’s not every day you catch a battle of the titans—on Mars. But that’s exactly what NASA’s Perseverance rover pulled off when it recorded a towering Martian dust devil swallowing up a smaller one in the middle of Jezero Crater. (Those of us who were obssessed with the videogame Agar.io back in 2015 will find the tape extremely satisfying). The video is not just jaw-dropping:it’s science gold, giving researchers a fresh glimpse into the chaotic ballet of Martian weather.
The footage, captured on January 25, 2025, features two dust devils (whirlwinds for those of who don’t know much about meteorology) merging in a rare, high-energy display. While one spun at 16 feet wide, the larger devil was a whopping 210 feet across and lumbered across the Martian surface at 12 miles per hour. And yes, it looked just as dramatic as it sounds. Think “Marsnado,” minus the sharks.
Meet the Martian Whirlwinds
Dust devils aren’t exclusive to Earth. They form on Mars for the same reason: rising warm air gets caught in a vertical spin, creating a swirling column that kicks up dust from the surface. But because of Mars’ thin atmosphere and dry terrain, these whirlwinds can grow much larger and last longer than anything we typically see on Earth.
They’re part weather event, part desert spectacle—and on Mars, they’re not just swirling scenery. They’re clues. For scientists, each of these devils is a mini-laboratory in motion, revealing patterns about surface heating, air movement, and even terrain texture.
When Two Devils Collide
The real Martian magic happened when the smaller of the two whirlwinds drifted into the path of the larger one and got absorbed.
“This is the first time we’ve observed something like this on Mars,” said Mark Lemmon, a planetary scientist on the Perseverance team. “Watching two vortices merge gives us brand-new insight into how these systems behave in Martian conditions.” Lemmon noted that the bigger dust devil lost steam shortly after the merger.
Perseverance’s observations are particularly valuable: they’re real-time and high-resolution, providing a rare view of what actually happens when dust devils form and evolve. For scientists itching to chart the chaotic flow of the red planet’s atmosphere, this phenomenon caught on videotape has been just “chef’s kiss”.
According to NASA, dust devils like the ones caught in this video are responsible for lifting nearly half of all the dust into Mars’ atmosphere. That dust then shapes weather patterns, impacts temperatures, and contributes to the dramatic rust-colored skies. In fact, they could be the key to colonization if scientists can crack the code to predicting them –or even changing their trajectory.
Apart from all that, Martian dust devils have even had time to clean up NASA’s spacecraft when they are on their route. Yes, you read right: back in the days of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, dust devils were caught doing the unthinkable: cleaning the rovers’ solar panels. Which makes one wonder… If a planet 140 million miles away from Earth can manage to clean and tidy up metal clutter humans have managed to ship up there, what’s our excuse not to make our bed everyday?
Jezero Crater, the rover’s home base, was chosen specifically because it once held water—and might still hold signs of ancient microbial life. Studying its modern atmosphere is just one piece of the puzzle. Understanding how dust moves through this ancient lakebed may even help scientists figure out how well potential fossils or organic compounds could be preserved.
Mars may be dry, dusty, desolate and even populated by Matt Damon —but thanks to one rover’s watchful lens, it’s anything but boring.