How Odyssey studies Mars
Odyssey carries 3 science instruments. Its radiation detector, the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE), collected 2 years’ worth of data before failing in 2003. Our Sun and other stars emit radiation that can rip through human cells, causing cancer and other health problems.
On Earth, our planet’s magnetic field deflects the radioactive charged particles hurtling at us from space. Mars has no magnetic field, creating a hazard for human explorers that we need to understand and mitigate.
Ironically, that same radiation also helps scientists determine what Mars’ surface is made of. Odyssey’s Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) measures high-energy waves and subatomic particles produced when radiation strikes the surface. The waves and particles contain unique signatures of the rocks they came from, which allows scientists to map the elements that make up the Martian surface and find reservoirs of ice buried just beneath the top layer of soil.
Another instrument, the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), takes images of Mars’ surface in visible and infrared wavelengths, allowing researchers to map the planet’s terrain and figure out what minerals make up different landforms. These images were key to finding a landing site for NASA’s Curiosity rover where the rocks appeared to have formed in water.
from The Planetary Society Articles https://ift.tt/3054DPr
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