The Zhurong rover has run on the surface area of Mars for over a year considering that it deployed on May 22nd, 2021. During the very first kilometer of this trek, the rover gotten essential data on Mars extremely weak magnetic fields.
The research study was led by Aimin Du, Yasong Ge, and Huapei Wang, three professors with the CAS Engineering Laboratory for Deep Resources Equipment and Technology and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGGCAS). They were signed up with by researchers from the National Astronomical Observatories, the School of Geophysics and Geomatics, the College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the National Space Science Center, the Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering (ISSE), and several universities and research study institutes. The research paper that explains their findings recently appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.
An image from Chinas Zhurong rover reveals spacecraft hardware in the foreground and Martian surface in the background. Credit: CNSA
While Mars does not have an intrinsic magnetic field (aka. magnetosphere), there is proof that it did approximately four billion years ago. This evidence is recorded in the planets crust, which keeps weak electromagnetic fields distributed throughout the surface. Orbital measurements of these fields were performed by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, which recorded terrestrial crustal fields that depended on 1,500 nanoteslas (nT) in strength, however with a global average of about 200 nT.
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When studying the crust in the Elysium Planitia area, the InSight fluxgate magnetometer (IFG) aboard NASAs InSight mission acquired readings that were an order of magnitude stronger– about 2,000? nT. Zhurong, the very first rover geared up with fluxgate magnetometers, acquired magnetic readings from 16 sites along a 1,089 m (3,570 ft) track in the Utopia Planitia region– approximately 2,000 km (1240 mi) northwest of the Insight objectives landing site. Zhurongs two magnetometers obtained readings indicating the exact reverse of what the Insight lander obtained.
These findings provide a new constraint on the timeline for Mars magnetosphere and when it vanished. They likewise shed additional light on Marss magnetic, climatic, and interior history and how they are adjoined.
Understanding how and when Mars magnetic field disappeared is vital to the ongoing astrobiological studies on Mars. By comprehending how and when it transitioned from a warmer world with streaming water on its surface to the desiccated and exceptionally cold place it is today, researchers intend to discover whether or not there sufficed time for life to emerge on Mars. Understanding this could also provide insight into where it may still be discovered today.
Additional Reading: Chinese Academy of Science, Nature Astronomy
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Orbital measurements of these fields were conducted by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, which tape-recorded terrestrial crustal fields that were up to 1,500 nanoteslas (nT) in strength, but with an international average of about 200 nT.
Knowing how and when Mars magnetic field disappeared is crucial to the ongoing astrobiological studies on Mars.
The Zhurong rover has actually run on the surface of Mars for over a year considering that it deployed on May 22nd, 2021. Throughout the first kilometer of this trek, the rover gotten important information on Mars very weak magnetic fields. According to a new research study by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), these readings indicate that the magnetic field is very weak underneath the rovers landing site.
