News Planetary Science

Seismic waves crossing Mars’ core reveal details of the Red Planet’s heart

A Marsquake and an impact let researchers measure the physical properties of the planet’s core

An illustration of Mars cut in half to see the inner workings of the planet and its core.

Like Earth, Mars has a layered nature (illustrated here), consisting of a crust, mantle and core.

Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Plus

By Nikk Ogasa

Mars’ heart is about the size of our moon, and almost twice as dense. Or so suggest the first observed rumblings from a Marsquake and meteorite impact to cross the Red Planet’s heart, researchers report April 24 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.