--- title: "Watch This Awesome Video of Clouds Drifting Across the Martian Sky" description: "A stunning video that went viral over the weekend shows a fierce and dark cloud passing over a rocky Martian landscape." date: "2021-03-23" modified: "2021-03-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/watch-video-clouds-martian-sky" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "curiosity" - "mars" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # Watch This Awesome Video of Clouds Drifting Across the Martian Sky ![]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Martian Storm A stunning video that went viral over the weekend shows a fierce, dark cloud passing over a rocky landscape. But this isn't Arizona — it's the desolate surface of Mars. https://twitter.com/ThePlanetaryGuy/status/1373394638288121864 The [eight images]() were taken by NASA's Curiosity rover on March 19 and stitched together into a GIF by Paul Byrne, an associate professor of planetary science at North Carolina State. They show a dark cloud passing over a roughly 23 foot outcropping of layered sediment [nicknamed "Mount Mercou,"]() in the planet's Gale Crater. ## Mount Mercou The compressed layers of sediment as seen on the side of the outcropping are reminiscent of the layers found in the sides of dried up lake beds here on Earth, making the mount a particularly fascinating subject for Curiosity's cameras. Curiosity has been parked in front of Mount Mercou for some time now, waiting for its scientific instruments to make sense of its surroundings. Scientists are eager to find out more about the mosaics of the outcropping. "The textures and color variations in the cliff are mesmerizing and we are striving to understand them," Lucy Thompson, planetary geologist at University of New Brunswick, wrote in a [March 19 mission log](). ## Wispy Clouds The clouds overhead are quite different than the ones we find here on Earth. Scientists believe space debris that hits the thin Martian atmosphere creates particles around which clouds can form. These clouds can drift to extremely high altitudes, [anywhere up to 62 miles]() above the planet's surface. The clouds, believed to be mostly made of carbon dioxide, would only really be visible by the naked eye after sunset, when they reflect sunlight against the dark night sky. **READ MORE:** [Stunning video of Mars clouds shows its uncanny weather]() \[*Independent*\] **More on Curiosity:** *[NASA Shows Off GIF of a Dust Devil on Mars]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()