Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Life On Mars? Who Knows — But This Is What The Planet Sounds Like
(
Courtesy of NASA
)
Humans have long imagined life on the Red Planet, and now, we have an idea at least of what life might sound like.
Using a SuperCam microphone on the Perseverance Rover — which was developed at JPL in Pasadena — NASA has been able to eavesdrop on the red planet.
But what the team has picked up isn't just for earthly fun. The measurements they've gathered provide new information about the Martian speed of sound … or rather, the speeds of sound.
On Mars, the atmosphere is different than it is on Earth — it's 150 times thinner and made up of 96% carbon dioxide — so sound waves also travel differently.
Support for LAist comes from
A quick breakdown: the experience of hearing sound is actually just the sensation of sound waves vibrating our eardrums. But to get to our ears, sound waves need something to travel through, like air..
Take a listen — closely. You can pick up several different sounds a light martian wind, the crackle of a rock-zapping laser, the whir of a space helicopter, and the “pings and puffs” of the Perserverance gaseous dust removal tool, according to NASA's website.
Higher-pitched sounds are absorbed by the Mars atmosphere, slowing them down, while lower-pitched sounds travel long distances.
That means there are actually two speeds of sound on Mars: one for higher pitches, and one for lower pitches, according to planetary scientist Naomi Murdoch, who works on the SuperCam microphone.
"If you're listening to a concert," says Murdoch, "all of the low pitched music, all of those instruments, would arrive after the music coming from the higher-pitched instruments. So it would sound very strange and out of sync."
Support for LAist comes from
The Mars helicopter Ingenuity takes off on a test flight.
(
Courtesy of NASA
)
Murdoch notes that the sound study is particularly exciting because it's opened up an entirely new field of research. She says up until now, we haven't had microphones on other planets that have been able to capture atmospheric changes in so much detail.
And Murdoch's team isn't going to stop at Mars — they hope to send microphones to other planetary bodies like Venus and Saturn's moon, Titan.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist