1.2 mile-high ‘dust devil’ spotted on Mars by Nasa’s Perseverance rover

Scientists have spotted a two-kilometre-high (1.2 miles) whirlwind on Mars.

The amazing spectacle observed by Nasa’s Perseverance rover was revealed to be a dust devil moving across the Martian landscape.

In footage, the lower portion of the twister is seen moving east to west at about 12mph along Thorofare Ridge on 30 August.

Using data from the imagery, mission researchers determined that this particular dust devil was about four kilometres (2.5 miles) away.

They calculated its width to be about 60 metres (200 ft). While only the bottom 118 metres (387 feet) of the swirling vortex are visible in the camera frame, the scientists could also estimate its full height.