Scientists measure speed of sound on Mars with NASAs Perseverance Rover – Daily Star

Mars is often seen as Earths sister planet, and scientists have long dreamed of one day establishing a colony there.

But even having a chat on the Red Planet would be tricky, and listening to music would be well-nigh impossible, as new data from NASAs Perseverance rover demonstrates.

In a study published this week in the scientific journal Nature, scientists said they had worked out that the speed of sound is slower and less consistent on Mars, while even quite loud sounds wouldnt carry half as far.

On Earth, sound typically travels at 767 miles per hour. But in the thin carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars, high-pitched sounds would only move at about 559mph while baser tones would wader along at a sedate 537mph.

"On Earth, the sounds from an orchestra reach you at the same speed, whether they are low or high, explained Sylvestre Maurice, the studys lead author, but imagine on Mars, if you are a little far from the stage, there will be a big delay.

The sound wouldnt carry as far either, so youd need to sit much closer to the stage. While in the Earths atmosphere a sound might easily carry for a couple of hundred feet the same sound on Mars would suffer a significant drop in volume after just 13ft.

High-pitched sounds such as childrens voices and birdsong, would be particularly affected.

As NASA explains: "Because the Mars atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide (Earths atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen), higher-frequency noises will likely be more attenuated than bass pitches, meaning we probably wont hear them as well as lower-pitched sounds.

Recordings from Perseverances two microphones one mounted high on the rovers mast and the other built into its mobile camera demonstrate the eerie quietness of Earths chilly neighbour.

NASA has put together a series of recordings and posted them online to give a sense of just how much the Martian atmosphere would change the way we hear familiar sounds.

It is stunning all the science we can get with an instrument as simple as a microphone on Mars, says Baptiste Chide, a postdoctoral researcher in planetary science at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a contributor to the SuperCam microphone.

Recording audible sounds on Mars is a unique experience, he adds. With the microphones onboard Perseverance, we will add a fifth sense to Mars exploration. It will open a new area of science investigation for both the atmosphere and the surface.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

Original post:
Scientists measure speed of sound on Mars with NASAs Perseverance Rover - Daily Star