Perseverance Rover
Since landing on Mars a year ago, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been using its microphones to record a variety of sounds on Mars. Based on its results, scientists now find that sound travels differently on Mars than it does on Earth. In a new paper published in Nature, NASA says that the atmosphere of Mars, which is filled with carbon dioxide (about 95%), has a significant impact on sound transmission. While the speed of sound on Earth typically reaches about 1,230 kilometers per hour, the speed of sound on Mars is generally slower than that. I say “overall” because there is a difference in the speed of the bass and treble on Mars. The treble is about 900 kilometers per hour and the bass is about 860 kilometers per hour.
“Imagine that when you’re listening to a symphony orchestra on Earth, you can hear both the highs and the lows at the same time. But if you go to Mars, if you’re farther away from the stage, there’s a delay between the two sounds. “Sylvestre Maurice, lead author of the paper, told AFP in an interview. On top of that, Mars’ thinner atmosphere also causes sound to travel shorter distances than it does on Earth. On Mars, sound can only travel about 4 meters, while on Earth it can travel up to about 65 meters.
If you want to experience the sound of Mars in general, NASA provides a series of analog sounds for you to compare with the same sound on Earth.