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Haunting whispers from the Martian landscape make for a spooky “Soliday”

Haunting whispers from the Martian landscape make for a spooky “Soliday”

A Spooky Holiday: Haunting Whispers from the Martian Landscape

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover captured this image of the Martian landscape at the Jezero crater rim with its left Mastcam Z camera, which was voted by the public as the rover's “Image of the Week.” The image was taken on October 22, 2024 (Sol 1306) at local mean solar time of 1:45:41 p.m. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

The Perseverance rover lurks in the quiet, cold, desolate landscape of Jezero Crater on Mars, a place shrouded in shadows and haunted by past secrets. Built to withstand the planet's harsh conditions, Perseverance withstands the thin atmosphere and extreme temperature fluctuations. Its microphone captures the eerie whispers of Martian winds that send shivers down your spine, and records ghostly dust devils swirling across the barren terrain. Did the microphone pick up the sound of a skeleton rattling its bones? We leave that to your imagination.

Recently, Perseverance navigated the dark slopes of the Jezero crater rim, searching for a series of dilapidated ridges to uncover the crater rim's hidden geological secrets. The rover emerged from the shadows and descended into a field of bright rocks, illuminating the landscape reminiscent of bones and gravestones. Along the way, the rover encountered dark bedrock in Mist Park. Perseverance then faced another daunting climb back to the crater rim, venturing deeper into the great unknown.

Unlike vampires or other creatures of the night, Perseverance needs rest after long days of exploring the mysterious Martian landscape. As night falls, the rover sleeps, having watched the sun sink below the horizon and cast ominous shadows across the landscape. The cool winds howl through the night like a haunting lullaby to the fearless explorer. However, Perseverance sometimes wakes up from nighttime events.

While instruments mostly make their scientific measurements during the day, they are not afraid of the dark and are often tasked with observing what lurks in the shadows and peering into Mars' night sky. Perseverance occasionally looks up to imagine the northern lights and catch a glimpse of Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars.

Mars is like a hotel where you can check in and out but never leave. It has become a graveyard of long-dead landers and rovers, but Perseverance is far from ready to leave the land of the living. In fact, the ghosts of past rovers and landers guide Perseverance on its journey. As we continue to uncover the mysteries of Mars, we are reminded of its past and the secrets that still lurk. Join us as we ponder the mysteries of Mars as we explore its eerie history.

Quote: Haunting whispers from the Martian landscape make for a spooky “Soliday” (2024, October 30), retrieved October 31, 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-10-martian-landscape-spooky-soliday. html

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