In early May, the InSight lander on Mars detected a marsquake which is equivalent to a magnitude-5 on the Richter scale. This is the largest quake ever recorded on another planet. Through the data obtained from marsquake, researchers can analyse the depth and composition of different layers of the interior of Mars, thereby increasing the understanding of the origin of Mars and providing clues to let us know how the rocky planets in the solar system such as Earth and Venus were formed.

Landed on Mars in 2018, the InSight lander carries highly sensitive seismometer to study the interior activity of Mars. This strong marsquake detected was an addition to more than 1 300 marsquakes detected by the lander, and this was the biggest one every detected. After three and a half years journey on Mars, the solar panels of InSight were covered by a thick layer of Mars dust, hampering the power supply which may call the end of the mission within this year.

Image: Generated by the data collected on January 2018 by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA's Marks Express orbiter. It shows the fractures produced by marsquake.

Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin