NASA reports on Mars the largest earthquake known outside of Earth

NASA’s InSight Mars lander detected the largest earthquake ever observed on another planet: an estimated magnitude 5 tremor that occurred on May 4, 2022.

This adds to the catalog of more than 1,313 earthquakes InSight has detected since landing on Mars in November 2018. The largest earthquake ever recorded was an estimated magnitude of 4.2 detected on August 25, 2021.

InSight was sent to Mars with a highly sensitive seismometer, provided by the National Center for Space Studies (CNES) of France, to study the deep interior of the planet.

As seismic waves pass through or reflect off material in the crust, mantle, and core of Mars, they change in ways that seismologists can study to determine the depth and composition of these layers. What scientists learn about the structure of Mars can help them better understand the formation of all rocky worlds, including Earth and its Moon.

A magnitude 5 earthquake is a medium sized earthquake compared to those felt on Earth, But it’s near the upper limit of what scientists expected to see on Mars during the InSight mission. The science team will need to study this new earthquake further before they can provide details such as its location, the nature of its source, and what it might tell us about the interior of Mars.

“Since we installed our seismometer in December 2018, we’ve been waiting for ‘the big one,'” Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who directs, said in a statement. The mission. “This earthquake is sure to provide a view of the planet like no other. Scientists will analyze this data to learn new things about Mars in the years to come.”

The big quake comes as InSight faces new challenges with its solar arrays, which power the mission. As InSight’s Mars location enters winter, more dust is in the air, reducing available sunlight. On May 7, 2022, the lander’s available power fell just below the limit that activates safe mode, where the spacecraft suspends all but the most essential functions. This reaction is designed to protect the lander and can reoccur as available power slowly decreases.

After the lander completed its primary mission in late 2020 and met its original science goals, NASA extended the mission through December 2022.

Colombia will be part of NASA’s Artemis mission

This Tuesday, May 10, the Government of Colombia will join the Artemis Agreements, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nasa. According to information from diplomatic sources, these sections seek to strengthen cooperation in space exploration and exploitation on the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies in order to enhance interest in the Universe.

Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez will be in charge of signing these agreements in Washington.

Through a statement from the Embassy of Colombia, it was announced that it will be an important pact for the nation and its relations with the North American power.

These agreements They arose with the Artemis Program, which the United States launched in 2017, with the goal of sending the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar south pole by 2025.

*With information from Europa Press.