Mars Rotating Faster Than Expected, NASA’s InSight Lander Finds
NASA’s InSight lander has made a groundbreaking discovery about the rotation of Mars. Data collected by the spacecraft’s instruments, including antennae and a radio transponder, has revealed that the Red Planet is rotating faster than previously thought.
Tracking Mars’ rotation for 900 days on the planet, InSight found that the spin is increasing by about 4 milliarcseconds per year². This means that the length of a Martian day is shortening by a fraction of a millisecond each year. The increased acceleration in rotation is believed to be the result of ice accumulation at the Martian poles or the rise of landmasses after being covered in ice.
These findings were reported in a study published in the journal Nature in June. The study highlights the significant contributions made by InSight’s mission, which was initially planned for two years but has been extended for another two years.
However, InSight experienced a setback in December 2022 when it fell silent due to dust blocking its solar panels. Nevertheless, the mission’s advancements in radio technology and upgrades to the Deep Space Network have greatly enhanced the accuracy of the data captured.
In addition to the discovery about Mars’ rotation, InSight confirmed the presence of a molten metal core in the planet. Scientists were able to measure the core’s wobble, known as nutation, to estimate its size, which is approximately 1,140 miles in radius.
The data collected by InSight has significantly altered scientists’ understanding of Mars and will continue to be analyzed for decades to come. The mission has opened up new avenues for research and exploration, paving the way for future missions to uncover more mysteries about the Red Planet.
As our knowledge of Mars continues to expand, the remarkable findings from InSight’s mission have proven to be invaluable in unraveling the secrets of our neighboring planet.
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