As reported earlier in this blog, a huge dust storm is developing on Mars. NASA was not terribly concerned about the storm initially, as it was well away from either rover. Recently, however, the storm has exploded in both size and intensity, and is approaching the position of the rover, Opportunity.
This is becoming a massive storm, throwing enough dust into the atmosphere to block nearly all sunlight from reaching the surface. The rovers are powered by solar cells, so if sunlight can't reach them, the rovers will run out of power. Without enough power to warm their electronic innards against the fierce cold of Mars, the rovers' ability to function after the storm passes will be destroyed. Should that happen, though, let's remember the rover missions were originally scheduled to last 90 days each. Both Spirit and Opportunity have gone far beyond that, setting a high bar for future missions.
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