Before any serious mission to send astronauts to Mars, even for a short stay, it’s absolutely mandatory to learn as much about the Red Planet as possible. This includes how the atmosphere behaves in all aspects and how the human body would react to it, even while being protected by a spacesuit.
NASA sent its Perseverance rover to Mars to study the planet’s rocks, and it’s nice to see that precious data from other areas are uncovered. The rover has also been analyzing the winds and atmosphere of our neighboring planet.
Sound travels slower on Mars due to the carbon dioxide atmosphere
Engadget.com reveals that astronomers discovered, thanks to NASA’s Perseverance rover, that sound travels slower on Mars than it does on Earth. This is caused by the thin carbon dioxide atmosphere present on the Red Planet.
Sound travels at a maximum of 889 km/h on Mars. That’s a significant difference, considering that on Earth, the usual speed of sound is about 1234 km/h.
Therefore, if you would need to perform some work on Mars, you will experience a significant delay when hearing your boss’ indications even if he yells at you. Check out what Sylvestre Maurice had to say, who is the main author of the study, as Engadget.com quotes:
On Earth, the sounds from an orchestra reach you at the same speed, whether they are low or high. But imagine on Mars, if you are a little far from the stage, there will be a big delay.
One of the biggest goals in astronomy today is to send the first astronaut to the Red Planet. NASA Administrator, Bill Nelson, is one of those who have high confidence that the space agency is indeed capable of going to Mars. He even recently brought a prediction for when NASA might send astronauts to our neighboring planet.
