--- title: "A World First: Listen to the Sounds of Mars" description: "NASA's team at JPL just recorded the first sounds from the Martian surface ever to be heard back on Earth." date: "2018-12-07" modified: "2018-12-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/world-first-listen-sounds-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "insight mars lander" - "JPL" - "mars" - "NASA" --- # A World First: Listen to the Sounds of Mars ![NASA's team at JPL just recorded the first sounds from the Martian surface ever to be heard back on Earth.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## The Martian Wind Blows It's been less than a day since we got our [last update]() from NASA's Insight lander and it's sent a revelatory new message home: the sounds of Mars. InSight [successfully landed]() on the Martian surface on November 26, and has blessed us with several [high-resolution views]() of its desolate surroundings. Now, for the [first time in history](), it's sent back the ghostly sound of the Martian winds. In a recent video by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, we get to hear sounds and vibrations from the Red Planet. https://youtu.be/ZK5bOZx2xXs ## Measuring Mars' Pulse The recordings come courtesy of InSight's seismometer and air pressure sensor. At the time of the recording, the air pressure sensor recorded a wind of 10-15 mph (15-24 km/h). The seismometer will eventually be used — once InSight [finds a spot for it]() on the surface of Mars — to listen to the planet's "pulse," meaning the seismic vibrations that could give scientists precious clues into what's going on inside Mars. The air pressure sensor will help the seismometer make sense of those measurements. The recording themselves were taking on December 1, according to the video's caption. JPL had to pitch and speed up parts of the recording so that they could be heard on laptop and smartphone speakers. ## Alien Soundscapes Its a fascinating glimpse into what it's like to be on the surface of Mars. We still have to wait[ a couple of months]() until scientists will get the instruments' first readings, but until then, let's enjoy listening to the eerie sounds of a planet that's millions of miles away. **READ MORE:** [Sound from Mars heard for first time on Earth]() \[CBS News\] ***More on InSight: [NASA’s InSight Mars Lander Landed in a “Large Sandbox” at a Slight Angle]()*** ## 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]()