Title: NASA’s InSight Lander Reveals Increase in Rotation Speed on Mars
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CNN — Mars is rotating more quickly than previously believed, as per the latest data collected by NASA’s InSight lander during its mission on the red planet. The findings, reported in a study published in the journal Nature, shed light on the dynamic nature of Mars and provide valuable insights into its interior.
Equipped with a range of instruments including antennae and the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) radio transponder, InSight spent 900 days tracking Mars’ rotation. Astronomers discovered that the planet’s spin is increasing by about 4 milliarcseconds per year², leading to a slight decrease in the length of a Martian day by a fraction of a millisecond each year. Consequently, a Martian day now lasts roughly 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth.
While the acceleration in Mars’ rotation is minuscule, researchers have yet to pinpoint its precise cause. They speculate that it could be due to ice accumulation at the planet’s polar regions or the rise of landmasses after being covered in ice. Such shifts in a planet’s mass can trigger an increase in its rotation speed.
InSight’s mission, initially planned for two years after landing in November 2018, was extended for an additional two years by NASA. The lander gathered valuable data until its demise in December 2022, when dust blocked its solar panels. The mission made significant advancements in radio technology, surpassing the capabilities of previous missions like Viking and Pathfinder.
Utilizing the Deep Space Network, researchers beamed signals to InSight’s RISE instrument, which reflected them back to Earth. These relayed signals aided in tracking small frequency changes caused by the Doppler shift, allowing scientists to monitor variations in Mars’ rotation with greater accuracy. Sebastien Le Maistre, lead study author and principal investigator of RISE, emphasized the significance of accumulating extensive data to observe subtle variations in Mars’ rotation.
Beyond studying the planet’s rotation, InSight’s mission also confirmed the presence of a molten metal core within Mars. By measuring Mars’ wobble or nutation, the team estimated the size of the core to have a radius between 1,112 and 1,150 miles (1,790 and 1,850 kilometers), as compared to previous seismic wave measurements.
Though the InSight lander is no longer operational, its rich dataset collected over four years has revolutionized scientific understanding of Mars. It was the first mission to uncover secrets of Mars’ interior, and scientists anticipate analyzing the data for many years to come. Bruce Banerdt, former principal investigator of InSight, expressed his delight at the precise measurements obtained, acknowledging the decades-long efforts to deploy a geophysical station on Mars.
The InSight mission has undoubtedly propelled our knowledge of Mars forward, providing valuable insights into its rotation, interior, and core composition. As we continue to explore the wonders of our neighboring planet, the discoveries made by InSight will pave the way for future missions and contribute to our broader understanding of the universe.