The length of the day is getting shorter on Mars, scientists don't know why

NASA's InSight lander has provided interesting data on changes in the length of the Mars sol, but scientists remain open to the possible causes of this phenomenon.

According to a report by New Atlas, InSight has been conducting scientific research on Mars for four years from 2018 to 2022 to reveal the internal structure of the planet.

Read also: Scientists have proven that the Earth's satellite has a solid metal core

One of InSight's tasks was to measure the rotation speed of Mars. The probe was equipped with radio antennas connected to NASA's Deep Space Network on Earth.

During the probe's first 900 days of operation, scientists analyzed the data collected, investigating possible changes in the speed of rotation of Mars. They took into account various factors, such as the solar wind and moisture in the Earth's atmosphere, to isolate the variations associated solely with Mars.

The results of the study showed that the speed of rotation of Mars decreases by 4 milliseconds every year, which leads to a weakening of the duration of the sol. Currently, scientists remain surprised and have no answers on the causes of this phenomenon.

They reject the possibility that the two small moons of Mars play a key role in this change, as their mass is considered insufficient. Scientists take into account other possible factors, such as the movement of mass due to the accumulation of ice on the polar ice caps or changes in the surface relief after water spills and melting glaciers.

The obtained data may also help to study the oscillations of Mars during its rotation, which may indicate the movement of liquid in its core. This, in turn, will allow scientists to learn more about the structure and characteristics of the planet's core, which is an important step in understanding the processes taking place in the depths of Mars.

We will remind you that astronomers were able to record a radio signal from a distant galaxy at a distance of 8.8 billion light-years from Earth. It may be related to an alien civilization.

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