On Tuesday, a groundbreaking study reported the first-ever recording of the sound of a dust devil on Mars by NASA's Perseverance rover. This significant event marked an extraordinary milestone in the exploration and understanding of otherworldly atmospheres!
The study's lead author, Naomi Murdoch, excitedly told AFP that "we hit the jackpot" when their vehicle's microphone recorded the sound of a dust devil overhead.
The "dust devil" is also called a dust whirlwind and differs significantly from a common tornado.
Scientists expect the recordings to help further our understanding of Martian weather and climate, shedding light on how its dry soil and thin atmosphere may have provided a suitable environment for life long ago. Dust devils are a common occurrence on Mars – these transient , dust-splashing tornadoes produced by drastic differences in ground-air temperature.
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Although it's been a recurring sight inside Jezero since February 2021, when the Perseverance landed there, no one had managed to capture the sound of these alien noises – until now.
One unexpected day, September 27, 2021, a tall and wide dust devil measuring 118 meters high and 25 meters wide moved above the rover at a speed of five meters per second.
Murdoch explained that the dust devil had a quick and brief visit last year, which is why its audio clip was so brief. Meanwhile, while the rover remained stationary outdoors, its navigation camera was taking photos and monitoring weather data at the same time.
This time, the rover ’s SuperCam microphone has managed to capture and capture a faint but distinct hum of an active “dust devil” swirling around Mars. This marks another milestone in history – it is now officially the first sound recording from the Martian surface.
“As soon as the dust devil came into view, we heard its strong winds – and then suddenly nothing. We were in the eye of the vortex!” said Murdoch , a researcher at the French space research institute ISAE-SUPAERO , where the SuperCam microphone was designed .
As the microphone passes through the second wall of dust, he explained, that's when it starts to pick up sound again.
The dust created a "tac tac tac" that allowed researchers to analyze the shape and behavior of the dust devil by counting the particles, he said.
The research could also help solve a puzzling mystery that scientists are trying to understand. “In some places on Mars, dust-sucking tornadoes regularly pass by and clean dust off the rovers’ solar panels,” Murdoch.
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But in other areas, dust devils pass by without leaving any trace. “They just move air,” Murdoch said sheepishly , adding that “we don’t know why.”
For example, NASA 's InSight spacecraft's solar panels are being swamped by dust particles, as it is in a place where these natural vacuum cleaners cannot work. Investigating this event could help researchers create a model for dust devils so they can accurately predict their next destination.
This could even provide insight into the massive dust storms sweeping across Mars, which were featured in the 2015 film “The Martian” starring Matt Damon. But according to Murdoch, the film depicted a level of intensity of these storms that was unrealistic.
According to planetary scientist and author of the study published in Nature Communications, Sylvestre Maurice, the analysis of Martian dust reveals the complex interactions between the surface and the very thin atmosphere.
According to Maurice, who also works on the SuperCam, billions of years ago the atmosphere of Mars was much denser, which provided the perfect conditions for sustaining life with liquid water.
He noted that “one might think this is irrelevant to the search for life billions of years ago, but studying the Martian climate today is an integral part of that search.”
"But all of this is part of a bigger picture, as Mars has experienced dramatic changes in its climate from wet and warm to completely dry and icy."
In search of rocks that might contain evidence of ancient microbial life, Perseverance collected 18 samples from the Jezero Crater area , a former river delta. In about ten years, NASA will bring these samples back to Earth.
Source: france24.com
