#insight lander

[odinsblog]

[mindblowingscience]

Data from InSight suggests Mars has an all-liquid core and internal mass anomalies

A team of planetary scientists from Belgium, the U.S., France and Germany has found evidence from the InSight lander that suggests Mars has

A team of planetary scientists from Belgium, the U.S., France and Germany has found evidence from the InSight lander that suggests Mars has an all-liquid core and internal mass anomalies. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their analysis of data sent back to Earth from the lander. As the research team notes, determining the interior characteristics of the solar system's planets is hindered by their inaccessibility. In this instance, they were referring to work by research teams attempting to determine the inner makeup of Mars. To date, no one has been able to show whether its core is solid or liquid, for example—a characteristic that could impact work exploring whether the planet ever harbored life. In this new effort, the researchers focused their efforts on data from the InSight lander, which landed on Mars in 2018... The researchers found evidence in RISE DATA of what they describe as "mass anomalies" beneath the surface of the planet. The anomalies were found to stretch from the top of the mantel to the bottom. They further note that Mars' gravity field and likely its overall shape is mainly determined by the rotation rate of the planet. But they suggest that the anomalies may have an impact, as well. More importantly, by studying data related to the core and characterizing it separately from data related to the mantle, the team found what they believe to be evidence showing that Mars' core is molten liquid—and they also found a slight increase in the planet's spin.

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[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

[biastechnologist]

50 d1d 1 3v3r 73ll y4ll 4b0u7 h0w 1 h4d 4 dr34m 0f g01ng 70 m4r5 0n 7h3 Horus 5-9 4nd r35cu1ng 0ppy. l1k3 p1ck1ng h1m up 4nd br1ng1ng h1m b4ck 70 NASA 50 h3 c4n b3 r3p41r3d

c4u53 1 7h1nk 7h3r35 g0nn4 b3 4 51m1l4r 0n3 500n

[themelonlad]

THE INSIGHT LANDER IS RUNNING OUT OF POWER

[weirdponytail]

Hey, NASA type science side of tumblr? I was reading about how the InSight lander is having issues with dust buildup on its solar panels and remembered it was a somewhat similar issue after the dust storm knocked out the previous rover.

I was wondering, why hasn’t NASA developed solar panels that could either tilt or fold downwards at a command to help clear the dust off, or for the more circular shaped layouts maybe like a spin to fling dust away periodically? Does it have to do with the ever present weight issue, would add another annoying fiddly bit, or just be too dangerous with all the fragile equipment? Curious to know!

[jeanesseintes]

Sometimes you just need to hit yourself with a shovel and carry on

[sciencenewsforstudents]

Was that a Marsquake? | Science News for Students

‘Marsquakes’ could help scientists learn more about the Red Planet’s inner activity.

Let’s get ready to rumble! NASA appears to have just captured the first recording of a quake on Mars. On April 6, the seismometer on the Mars InSight lander recorded a short series of howls, grumbles and pings. One of those sounds — that grumble — is raising suspicions. It’s the first recorded sound from the Red Planet’s interior, and scientists say it’s likely a long-sought quake. NASA released the 40-second recording on April 23, 2019. It begins with a faint, eerie howling of the Martian wind. Next comes the low rumble of the possible Marsquake. A large ping toward the end is the spacecraft’s robotic arm moving.

Explainer: Seismic waves come in different ‘flavors’

InSight landed on Mars in November 2018. Its mission is to probe the Red Planet’s interior. InSight does this by tracking seismic waves rippling through the ground. Mars lacks Earth’s powerful quakes, which are caused by shifting tectonic plates. But as the planet cools and contracts, it has smaller quakes, crackles and rumbles. Scientists hope that InSight’s data will reveal Mars’ internal structure. That includes the size and density of its crust, mantle and core. Some of these data also might detail how heat flows through the planet’s insides as well as uncover hints of water there. This new recording isn’t long enough to provide much insight about the Martian interior, scientists say. But it shows Mars is seismically active. It also kicks off a brand-new field of research: Martian seismology.

This is what a marsquake sounds like. A seismometer on the planet picked up three different sounds. That initial howling is Martian wind. The low grumble that follows is a possible Marsquake. Finally, the ping is the spacecraft’s moving arm. CREDIT: IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON, IPGP, CNES, JPL-CALTECH/NASA