NASA's InSight lander detects largest quake on Mars

2022-05-11 Xinhua Editor:Li Yan
Photo provided by NASA on Nov. 26, 2018 shows the first image taken by NASA's InSight lander on the surface of Mars after its landing.(Xinhua/NASA/JPL-CALTECH)

Photo provided by NASA on Nov. 26, 2018 shows the first image taken by NASA's InSight lander on the surface of Mars after its landing.(Xinhua/NASA/JPL-CALTECH)

NASA's InSight Mars lander has detected the largest quake ever observed on another planet, NASA said on Monday.

An estimated magnitude 5 quake was detected by InSight lander on May 4, 2022, the 1,222nd Martian day of its mission.

This adds to the catalog of more than 1,313 quakes InSight has detected since landing on Mars in November 2018, according to NASA.

InSight was sent to Mars with a highly sensitive seismometer to study the deep interior of the planet.

As seismic waves pass through or reflect off material in Mars' crust, mantle and core, they change in ways that seismologists can study to determine the depth and composition of these layers.

By learning about the structure of Mars, scientists can better understand the formation of all rocky worlds, including Earth and its Moon, said NASA.

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