Data from NASA's InSight mission shows that Mars's rotation is speeding up and its days are growing slightly shorter. Scientists have a few ideas why.
Like an ice skater tucking their arms for an elegant spin, the planet Mars appears to be rotating slightly faster with each passing year.
In a paper published June 14 in the journal Nature, astronomers used data from NASA's InSight mission to show that the Red Planet's spin is accelerating at a rate of 4 milliarcseconds — one one-thousandth of an arcsecond, a unit of angularity — per year. As a result, the length of a Martian day is getting shorter by fractions of a millisecond annually.
Such changes in rotation can be difficult to detect. Luckily, InSight was able to collect over four years of data before it ran out of power in December 2022. The new study examined measurements taken from the mission's first 900 days on Mars — enough time to pick up on even subtle changes in planetary spin.
By bouncing radio waves into space and assessing how long they took to get back to the surface of the planet, InSight painted a detailed portrait of the planet's spin.Scientists aren't 100% sure what's causing the acceleration, but they have a few ideas. One is that ice accumulation at the planet's poles is causing a slight change in how its mass was distributed.
"It's a historic experiment," Sebastien Le Maistre, a planetary scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium and lead author of the study, said in a statement."We have spent a lot of time and energy preparing for the experiment and anticipating these discoveries. But despite this, we were still surprised along the way."
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Mars days shortening as spin speeds up, NASA's InSight revealsData from NASA's InSight reveals that Mars' rotation is accelerating, causing its days to shorten by a fraction of a millisecond every year. The research also shows that the Red Planet wobbles due to its molten core.
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA finds Mars days shrinking, cites increase in spin speedNASA has discovered that Mars is spinning faster, resulting in a slight decrease in the length of a Martian day. The data was obtained from the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE), which uses a radio transponder and antennas to measure Mars' rotation.
Baca lebih lajut »
Mars' days are getting shorter as NASA detects the planet speeding upNASA has found that Mars is spinning faster and faster, resulting in shorter days. The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) instrument on the InSight Mars lander measured the planet's rotation and detected its wobbling caused by the movement of its molten metal core.
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA's Mars Helicopter Had an Unscheduled Landing, But Flew AgainThe Ingenuity helicopter continues to explore the landscape around Jezero Crater on Mars, now more than 800 days into its original 30-day demonstration mission. Recently, Ingenuity completed its 54th flight on the Red Planet. However, things haven’t gone exactly to plan the past several weeks. On its 53rd fight on July 22, 2023, the helicopter had an unscheduled landing but managed to fly again.
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA accidentally killed the only life discovered on Mars, theory suggestsA new theory suggests that NASA killed evidence of life on Mars over 50 years ago when an experiment gave unexpected results. The experiment showed positive results initially, but further tests did not confirm them. Additionally, an instrument designed to detect organic compounds found only trace amounts of chlorinated organics.
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA’s Mars Helicopter Captures Image of Perseverance RoverNASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, captured an aerial image of the Perseverance rover during its latest flight at the end of last week. The aircraft and rover arrived together on the red planet in February 2021, and since then both have been operating inside the Jezero Crater, a dried-up lake that scientists believe could contain evidence of ancient life.
Baca lebih lajut »