September 16, 2023
With the help of data gathered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Insight Mars Lander, it was found that the speed of Mars’ rotation has increased. Astronomers used Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE), one of the lander’s instruments, to record the rate at which Mars is rotating and discovered that its spinning rate is accelerating by about 4 milliarcseconds per year. The acceleration is subtle and has led to the shrinking of the Martian day by a fraction of a millisecond each year. Astronomers are not certain about the cause of the planet’s acceleration and believe the shift in Mars’ mass due to the accumulation of ice on its polar caps could be one of the reasons.
Did You Know?
The gravity on Earth is around 62.5% more than the gravity on Mars.
