The length of Mars' day is shortening by three-quarters of a millisecond each year as the planet's rotation spins up.
One possibility is that there may be slight changes occurring on Mars, such as shifts in the planet’s mass or surface activity. These changes could result in a faster spin. One theory suggests that the accumulation of ice on the polar caps or the rebound of landmasses buried under ice, known as post-glacial rebound, may be responsible for the increased spin.
NASA recently announced that Mars is spinning faster each year, but the reasons behind this phenomenon remain unclear. Data from NASA’s InSight Mars lander has been analyzed to track the planet’s spin rate, revealing that a day on Mars is getting shorter by a small fraction of a millisecond annually. Scientists are uncertain about the cause, but they have theories.
One possibility is that there may be slight changes occurring on Mars, such as shifts in the planet’s mass or surface activity. These changes could result in a faster spin. One theory suggests that the accumulation of ice on the polar caps or the rebound of landmasses buried under ice, known as post-glacial rebound, may be responsible for the increased spin.
The InSight Mars lander was sent to Mars in 2018 for scientific studies. It collected valuable data about the planet’s interior during its four-year mission. Three key instruments on board InSight were used to take measurements: a seismometer, a heat probe, and a radio science experiment. The seismometer detected seismic waves caused by marsquakes and meteorite impacts, while the heat probe measured temperatures beneath the surface. The radio experiment tracked InSight’s exact location to understand Mars’ movements around the Sun.
NASA’s InSight mission has provided scientists with precise measurements of Mars’ rotation, allowing them to observe the planet’s increasing spin rate. Bruce Banerdt, the principal investigator of InSight, expressed excitement about these findings, stating that they validate the decades of work put into sending a geophysical station to Mars.
In conclusion, while the cause of Mars’ faster spin remains uncertain, the data collected by NASA’s InSight lander has provided valuable insights for scientists studying the planet.
Source: NASA
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