--- title: "NASA’s Mars Lander Detects Mysterious Magnetic Pulses" description: "NASA's InSight Lander on the surface of Mars detected a series of strange magnetic pulses that occurred exactly at midnight." date: "2019-09-23" modified: "2019-09-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasas-mars-lander-magnetic-pulses-midnight" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "insight lander" - "magnetic field" - "mars" - "nasa insight" - "the digest" --- # NASA’s Mars Lander Detects Mysterious Magnetic Pulses ![NASA's InSight Lander on the surface of Mars detected a series of strange magnetic pulses that occurred exactly at midnight.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Local Time NASA's InSight Mars Lander detected a series of strange magnetic pulses that occurred exactly at midnight, Mars time. Scientists have yet to figure out the source of the strange natural phenomenon, [according to]() *National Geographic* — a finding that upends years of thought about the Red Planet. ## Night Shift In 1997, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor found that Mars once had a global magnetic field just like Earth's, but scientists at NASA believe that it collapsed [billions of years]() ago. There are several theories as to why it collapsed: one of which suggests [huge asteroids once bombarded]() the Red Planet causing it to lose its magnetic field. But the new measurements by InSight's magnetometer have scientists scratching their heads, according to *National Geographic*: the lander found the magnetic field on the surface to be 20 times stronger than predicted. The magnetic field also tends to fluctuate in strength or direction — and at precisely midnight, raising even more questions for the InSight's team back on Earth. ## Field Day In addition to the strange pulsations, InSight detected a strange electrically conductive layer that's about 2.5 miles thick deep below the Martian surface, *National Geographic* reports. There is a slim chance the layer could represent a massive reservoir of liquid water — but it's way too early to say that with any degree of certainty. **READ MORE:** [Mysterious magnetic pulses discovered on Mars]() \[*National Geographic*\] **More on InSight:** *[NASA's InSight Mars Lander Just Recorded Its First Ever Marsquake]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()