science

First Sounds Recorded From Surface Of Mars

By Alison Palmieri

For centuries, the planet of Mars has captivated the attention of scientists and space enthusiasts alike. The beloved red planet has been the subject of entertainment, imagination and relentless research and exploration. Throughout history, Mars has been portrayed in film and comics as a habitat to aliens, a flourishing planet hosting our extraterrestrial neighbors. However, more recent research has proved Mars to be a dry, barren, inhabited planet, covered in rocks and dust. While the stories of aliens on Mars have been disproven, there was still one question unanswered in scientists' exploration of Mars: what does the red planet sound like?

This question has finally been answered for the first time in history by NASA’s rover, Perseverance. The rover recorded the ground-breaking audio from its side microphones as it descended onto the martian surface. The audio shares around 5 hours of the sounds heard on the planet's surface. Along with the audio recorded, the rover was also able to offer sophisticated imagery, as well as never-before-seen pictures of the rovers descent. The scientists at NASA consider this to be an extraordinary achievement, and are excited to further martian exploration. For 50 years, interplanetary probes have sent many high quality images, but never until now have sounds been released. Dave Gruel, one of the lead engineers on the project, was just one of the many celebrants of this achievement. "Imagine yourself sitting on the surface of Mars and listening to the surroundings," he said in a news briefing. "It's cool, really neat. Overwhelming, if you will." So what exactly is there to hear in these recordings?

One of the most prominent sounds is the rover itself, moving over rocks and manuerving throughout the terrain. This is because while the martian sounds fall within the human audible spectrum, it is still difficult to hear distinct sounds from the planet. With the exception of harsh winds, Mars is mostly silent, which signals to researchers that, besides wind, there are few natural sound sources on Mars. However, by focusing on the sounds produced by the rover, scientists were able to characterize the acoustic properties of the martian atmosphere.

They determined that the speed of sound is lower on Mars, with martian sound traveling about 240 m/s, and sound on our planet traveling at around 340 m/s. They also uncovered something surprising about sound on Mars, which is that there are two speeds of sounds for different frequencies, one for high pitched sounds and one for lower sounds. The audio also showed that sound attenuation, or the “diminishing of sound,” is much higher on Mars than on earth, especially for higher frequencies. This would mean that it would be difficult for two people standing even just five meters apart to hear each other during a conversation, due to the composition of the atmosphere.

This recent information sent back from Perseverance is just the beginning for the exploration of Mars. Scientists are excited to continue to explore the Martian planet, and are hopeful that with new technology like microphones, we can get an even more in depth understanding of what the planet is like. These recent discoveries are just a preview of what is to come. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, says, “Stay with us. There is much more amazement to come.”

Can Walking Help You Live Longer?

Ilana Blumenthal

Walking is a great activity that can be done anywhere. While people walk almost everywhere, the life improving benefits of walking are not known by many. It allows one to have a breath of fresh air or get away from gloomy weather. The benefits of taking a few extra steps is astonishing -- a reason for all people, no matter their age, to increase their movement everyday. Walking offers many health improvements, including managing health conditions, increasing heart health, acting as a mood enhancer and much more.

How does walking benefit one’s health? Walking can increase both cardiovascular fitness and cardiovascular endurance. This is very beneficial because cardiovascular endurance keeps your circulatory system healthy. Walking can also reduce body fat, which can decrease your chances of a stroke. This activity can also increase muscle strength and endurance which is needed to carry out daily activities. Additionally, walking can reduce a sweet tooth. According to the Harvard Health Department, walking only fifteen minutes a day can reduce the cravings for food such as chocolate. Walking can also reduce the risk of breast cancer -- which is a disease that affects 1 in 8 women. The American Cancer Society conducted a study that observed how much women walked and the effects it had on their health. They found that women who walked seven hours or more a week, reduced their risk of breast cancer by 14 %. Furthermore, walking boosts immune function. The Harvard Health Department led a study of over 1,000 men and women; some walked over 20 minutes a day for at least 5 day a week, others did not. The study found that those who walked more had 43% less sick days than those who did not walk as much.

So can walking actually make you live longer?

The answer is, yes! Walking helps in many ways, and all of its benefits add up to increase a lifespan of almost 15 years! Harvard’s Department of Epidemiology controlled a study with women who walked 4,400 steps a day, and were able to prove that those who walked that much had greater longevity than those who did not. The New York Times states, “A British Study From 2015 likewise found that men and women who exercised for at least 150 minutes per week -- the standard recommendation in Britain, Europe, and the US -- reduced their risk of premature death by at least 24% compared to people who exercised less.” The statistics given show the massive impact that walking can make. Walking significantly improves health and wellness, allowing people to live longer, happier and healthier lives.. Walking is a great source of exercise that offers a tremendous amount of benefits. The best part is, anyone can do it easily and for free! All one needs to get started is simply to take that first step.

U.S. Military Confirms an Interstellar Meteor Collided with Earth

By Victoria Pachnik

It is not uncommon for small meteorites within our solar system to hit the Earth. However, it's not everyday that a meteor from another solar system makes its way to Earth.

According to a recently released United States Space Command document, researchers discovered the first known interstellar meteor to ever hit Earth. Meteors from outside our solar system are rare because of the obstacles that usually stop meteors from getting in our atmosphere.

The meteor that collided with Earth was named CNEOS 2014-01-08 by scientists, and it landed along the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea on January 8th, 2014.

The interstellar meteor was identified by Amir Siraj, who was an undergraduate at Harvard University when it hit. While using NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) database for his other studies, he was looking for interstellar objects that entered our Solar System. Within days, Siraj found a meteor with an unusually high velocity and continued to research it further. When observing the trajectory of the meteor he found it had an “unbound orbit compared to the typical closed orbit of meteors in our solar system.” This meant that the meteor he discovered through the database came from outside the solar system rather than circling around the sun like other meteors.

Siraj and Abraham Loeb, the professor that helped him with his findings, could not immediately publish their research due to restrictions that came from using the CNEOS database. The information they wanted to publish was classified or there wasn’t enough to support their research.

After many long years of trying to get more information to support their research, Siraj and Loeb finally got official confirmation that the meteor they were observing was in fact interstellar. This confirmation came from the commander of the U.S Space Command, John Shaw. Then, Dr. Joel Mozer, the Chief Scientist of Space Operations Command, looked at the rest of the classified information from the CNEOS project, also confirming that the meteor was interstellar. These confirmations revived the project, allowing Sirak and his team to resubmit their findings this year.