[music playing]
JIM GREEN: We've been studying the dust storms of Mars
for quite some time.
And there's a particular season where some of the dust storms
can actually go global.
Not just regional, but global.
Dust storms on Mars can be absolutely enormous.
They can be 20 to 30 kilometers high.
And in fact, the dust can get charged.
And in the case of these really tall dust storms,
lightning can strike.
[thunder]
ANDY WEIR: These dust storms are huge.
They can cover the entire planet.
And they can last for months.
They're visible from space.
Mars just kind of turns into a hazy red ball.
And we can't see surface, uh, features
anymore with our satellites.
The dust, it's not like sand.
It's like talcum powder.
It's-- it's very, very microscopically small,
nasty dust particles.
And if they get into your lungs, it's a human safety issue.
So, uh, you would want to try to keep
it out as much as possible.
STEPHEN PETRANEK: There's a lot of dust on Mars.
You know, we've learned from our rovers
on Mars that they're constantly getting covered in dust.
And one of the problems with solar panels
is the dust would cover them almost instantly
or they would simply block out the sun
so much that they don't work.
If you got a dust storm that lasted for a month on Mars,
and you were relying on solar power, you'd be in big trouble.