Dust devils are common on Earth, particularly in deserts and other regions relatively free of obstructions. A vortex forming in a 1-foot diameter cylinder filled with fluid sweeps up fine particles of copper into a swirling dust devil.
Visitors can turn a knob to activate the vortex and watch it move over the landscape.
By stopping the vortex, people can observe the particles slowly drifting and settling out of the solution just as real dust particles are swept into the atmosphere by dust devils. The globe of the planet Mars, a world dominated by desert lands and great dust storms, would seem a likely place to find these roving vortices. In fact, the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has spotted them. These shadows are cast by dust devils.