NASA's Insight Mars lander recorded a magnitude 5 earthquake on the Red Planet last week, the largest such rumble ever observed on another world.
The news comes a week after the landers confirmed the locations and intensities of previous large earthquakes. In August and September of 2021, they were magnitudes 4.1 and 4.2. They were overtaken by the event on May 4.
Minor damage is usually caused by earthquakes between magnitudes 4 and 5. The core, mantle, and crust that make up the Martian interior, as well as the earthquakes that originate from inside the planet were studied by InSight.
The recent event, which was picked up by the seismometer, has been detected over 1,000 times. NASA scientists got the most detailed look at the planet's interior to date last year.
It may take some time for planetary scientists to figure out the cause of the recent earthquake, as was the case with last year's large events. When marsquakes occur, they emit waves that reflect off material on Mars. The reflections can show information about the interior of the planet.
InSight's tenure on the Red Planet has not been all roses. NASA gave up on the project after several failed attempts to get the heat probe to dig into the regolith. The lander's solar panels have been covered in dust, which has caused concerns about the ability to stay alive. So far, it is still kicking, and picking up some tremendous tremors along the way.
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