Mars is alive. (Geologically.)
NASA recently reported that its InSight lander — sent to observe geologic activity beneath the Martian surface — recorded one of its biggest quakes yet on Sept. 18. The 4.2 temblor, a quake that would have been big enough for people to feel had it happened on Earth, lasted an hour-and-a-half.
NASA said the event was "one of the biggest, longest-lasting marsquakes the mission has ever detected."
The agency also noted that the 4.2 quake was the third "major" quake InSight has observed in the last month. Both a 4.2 and 4.1 magnitude quake hit on Aug. 25.
Tweet may have been deleted
The InSight lander's seismometer is covered by a protective dome.Credit: NASA / JPL-CaltechInSight landed on Mars in Nov. 2018, so planetary scientists are still observing how geologically active Mars truly is. The solar-powered lander has observed hundreds of quakes, suggesting there might be volcanically active places in the Martian underground, perhaps hot molten rock (magma) moving and flowing like it does on Earth.
Though NASA researchers are still studying the recent September quake, they've found the August marsquakes occurred far off, much farther than where the other quakes originated in the plains of Cerberus Fossae.
"One especially intriguing possibility is Valles Marineris, the epically long canyon system that scars the Martian equator," wrote NASA. That's some 6,000 miles from InSight.
SEE ALSO:If a scary asteroid will actually strike Earth, here's how you'll knowNASA engineers used a clever strategy to keep the seismometer on and recording quakes in recent months. Mars' orbit has taken it farther from the sun, and dust had covered InSight's solar panels. This meant there was insufficient sunlight to power the entire machine. So NASA directed InSight's robotic arm to "trickle" sand near a solar panel, thinking wind would sweep sand granules over the panel and remove dust.
The plan worked. And InSight recorded some major Martian quakes.
(责任编辑：時尚)
How Hyperloop One went off the rails
'Designated Survivor' will be a heavy, hokey hitProposal for marriage equality AND free McNuggets is the perfect dealBlack lives need to matter in corporate America, tooThis German startup wants to be your bank (without being a bank)Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way
The release of Frank Ocean's。 Blonde 。is a cause for celebration to the fans who waited four years fo
...[详细]SpaceX releases new details about recent rocket explosion
SpaceX engineers are making progress in the investigation of what the company's founder Elon Musk ca
...[详细]Rami Malek makes perfect ‘Mr. Robot’ joke while accepting Emmy
NEW YORK -- The Dark Army wins. 。 Rami Malek took home an Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series
...[详细]2016 Emmys: All the best red carpet looks
TV's biggest stars came out dressed to the nines Sunday night to celebrate the 2016 Emmy Awards. Sta
...[详细]This coloring book is here for all your relationship goals
LONDON -- We are living through the golden age of celebrity relationships. Gone are the days of tort
...[详细]Petition to get Steve Irwin on Aussie currency is really, really popular
The very Australian environmentalist, Steve Irwin might not be the first person you think of when yo
...[详细]Donald Trump gets the mobile game everyone imagined, and it's amazing
The historically unusual 2016 U.S. presidential race has turned into a kind of reality show, so it's
...[详细]'Designated Survivor' will be a heavy, hokey hit
“There are times when we make history, and there are times when history makes us.” That'
...[详细]How Hyperloop One went off the rails
In December 2014, an engineer with the unlikely name Brogan BamBrogan was in the driveway of his cla
...[详细]Why DJI's foldable drone will crush the GoPro Karma
What a difference a week makes. It was only a week ago when GoPro threw it’s epic launch party
...[详细]Katy Perry talks 'Rise,' her next batch of songs, and how to survive Twitter
'Fuller House' Season 2 will premiere sooner than you expected
