NASA’s InSight lander recently detected the largest earthquake ever seen on another planet. an earthquake of magnitude 5 that hit the Red Planet on May 4.
Bruce Banerdt, InSight Principal Investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said: “Since we set up our seismograph in December 2018, we’ve been waiting for ‘big things’.
“This earthquake has made it possible to see the world like no other. Scientists will analyze this data to learn new things regarding Mars in the years to come.”
Since the stationary spacecraft landed on Mars in 2018, InSight has detected more than 1,313 earthquakes so far, the largest being a magnitude 4.2 and occurring on August 25, 2021.
Marsquakes are like earthquakes we encounter on Earth. Slightly different as to why this happens on each planet. On Earth, this is likely a moderate earthquake. Still, it set a new record for earthquakes detected by scientists studying Mars.
when we experience an earthquake That’s because tectonic plates move, move, and grind together. So far, Earth is the only planet to have these plates.
The structure of the Martian crust
So how do earthquakes happen on Mars? Think of the Martian crust as a single giant plate. This crust is flawed and fractured as the planet continues to shrink as it cools. This causes stress on the Martian crust to stretch and rupture.
When seismic waves travel through different materials inside mars It allows scientists to study the structure of planets. This will help them understand the mysterious interior of Mars. and use this research to learn how other rocky planets including how our planet was formed
Lander’s incredibly sensitive seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, is capable of detecting Marsquakes from hundreds of thousands of miles away. Data gathered by InSight has revealed new details regarding the lesser-known Martian core and mantle.
The InSight science team continues to analyze earthquakes to better understand their origin, source, and what might reveal regarding the Red Planet.
The mission is facing new challenges as Mars winters as more dust rises into the air. These floating particles reduce the sunlight needed to charge the solar panels that power InSight, which is now working on an extended mission through December.
On May 7, the lander entered safe mode when its power level dropped. Causing to stop everything except the necessary duties The team speculates that this might happen more in the future as dust levels increase.
InSight’s ongoing data sent to scientists on Earth stops when solar cells no longer produce enough energy. which may happen by the end of this year But researchers will study InSight’s detection for decades to learn as much regarding our mysterious planetary neighbor as possible.
