The UAE’s Hope probe tracked a massive dust storm on Mars for more than two weeks, helping to show how quickly they can spread across the planet.

Hope started monitoring a rapidly evolving regional dust storm in late December, as it expanded to a size of several thousand kilometres.

Dust storms on Mars cause extremely turbulent weather. They can be up to 30 kilometres high and cover the entire planet.

The storms can be seen from space, making the planet appear as a bright ball of red.

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Scientists hope that by studying them they can gain further insight into how they are drying out the planet by helping Martian water escape the planet’s atmosphere.

Hope, which reached orbit in February 2021, used a high-resolution camera and an infrared spectrometer to document the storm’s growth and dissipation.

Read more: The National News