NASA’s InSight lander senses ‘marsquakes’ on Mars
Recommended for Astronomy
According to a new series of papers published in the journal Nature and Nature Geoscience, InSight, a NASA lander on Mars has recorded evidence of ‘marsquakes’.
They are not particularly big – at most, they’re only 3 to 4 on the magnitude scale, which one can feel only if they are standing directly above the area.
What is the InSight mission?
- InSight is a robotic lander designed to study the interiors (under the surface) of Mars.
- It arrived on Mars on 26 November 2018 and settled in a small crater that has been informally named Homestead Hollow.
- It has many instruments to gather data on all the rock layers below the surface of Mars. Scientists can then compare this data to Earth’s data.
Since 2018, InSight has detected over 300 such ‘marsquakes’. Previously, it had also recorded ‘strange sounds’ on Mars.
Why is this mission important?
- This is the first-ever mission of its kind – to capture geophysical data of a planet other than Earth.
- Scientists are excited that Mars is seismically* active – that “Mars is far from being a dull, dead planet; it’s an active one”.
InSight will study Mars for one more year. By then, we can hope to continue to learn more about Mars and its atmosphere as well.
*Seismically: Relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of a planet and its crust.
Curious Times is a leading newspaper and website for kids. We publish daily global news aligned to your learning levels (also as per NEP 2020): Foundational, Preparatory (Primary), Middle and Senior. So, check out the News tab for this. We bring kids’ favourite Curious Times Weekly newspaper every weekend with top news, feature stories and kids’ contributions. Also, check out daily JokesPoke, Tongue Twisters, Word of the Day and Quote of the Day, kids need it all the time.
Curious Times News Program for Schools for FREE. Over 5,000 schools and teachers from all over the world have joined our programme so that students and teachers can get FREE Educative Newspaper. Here, kids can take part in world events and win prizes and certificates for free through their schools.
Moreover, schools are sharing important School News, like interviews with the principal, notices about new students, contests, and results, not just on social media but also on a news website for kids and other schools.
Thus, do not wait any further, sign-up for your school for FREE.
The following social media platforms allow you to communicate with us: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
0 (Please login to give a Curious Clap to your friend.)