Image of a dust devil, whirlwind of dust that is blown across Mars’ surface. Credit: CC BY SA 3.0 IGO ESA/TGO/CaSSIS for CaSSIS Although Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere, it still experiences powerful winds that play a major role in shaping the planet’s climate and in distributing its ever-present dust. These winds stir up dust into swirling columns called dust devils—rotating plumes of air and fine particles that sweep across the Martian surface. While the winds themselves are invisible,