NASA’s unmanned robot on Mars recently snapped a photo of a dust devil spinning on the surface of the red planet.

NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took the image using its navigation camera on Thursday.

Just like down here on Earth, dust devils are created by rising, rotating columns of hot air. When the columns whirl fast enough, they pick up tiny grains of dust from the ground, making the vortex visible.

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NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this image of a Martian dust devil twisting through the valley below. (Photo: NASA/JPL)