Mars attacks! Well, OK, Mars is under attack. Two weeks ago, a surprise dust storm swept the planet, much to the disappointment of the science teams operating missions there. The intrepid Mars Exploration Rover, also known as Opportunity, relies on solar power to drive around Mars—and this storm is so bad that even the faintest light from the Sun has been blocked by the dust. This isn’t a Mark Watney death storm, though: The winds on Mars are not particularly fast, so they lift the really fine silt on the surface and keep it lingering in suspension for a long time.
We’re hoping Opportunity pulls through. It was only meant to last 90 days and it’s still going, more than a decade later! The storm won’t exactly hurt Oppy. But it has gotten so bad so quickly that the rover has shifted into low-power mode, and no one knows when, or even if it will turn back on. We always knew Mars is a jerk that wants humans dead, but we really wish it would leave our poor plucky rovers alone.
Craving for more planetary shenanigans? Check out WIRED'S full cosmic gallery here.
