Dust storm on Mars

[Oscar the Cat]

A dust storm spreading west from the northern Hellas basin across Noachis. The storm over Noachis was bright yellow, and in extent is typical of one already a few
days old
Source The Astronomer

[Rick]

BAA electronic bulletin No. 00296 - http://www.britastro.org/

On 2007 June 25 Jim Melka (USA) informed me about a dust storm spreading west from the northern Hellas basin across Noachis. The storm over Noachis was bright yellow, and in extent is typical of one already a few days old.

Images by Ed Lomeli (USA) on June 26 showed the event to have cut across Hellespontus in two places, and to have progressed as least as far as Argyre. As of June 27 the storm also now cut across Sinus Sabaeus in Lomeli's images, spilling into Aeria-Arabia, whilst Melka's image of yesterday shows that all of Hellas is full of dust, the original core being in the NW corner, and that activity is further developing or spilling over Ausonia-Hesperia to the east.

Both the timescale and nature of this development are entirely typical for Hellas events, and the seasonal date is also normal.

Any further observations of this event - which has now become Regional in status - are requested.

Richard McKim
Director, BAA Mars Section
British Astronomical Association