Bandung – Mars was reportedly missing from Earth’s sky for 14 days, starting from November 11 to November 25. This scientific phenomenon is known as solar conjunction.
Quoted from detikInet, For your information, a solar conjunction is a period when the Sun obscures each other between Mars and Earth. “Like dancers on either side of a large bonfire, the two planets are temporarily invisible to each other,” NASA said as quoted by Space.com.
Earth and Mars experience a solar conjunction every two years. The two planets are on average 140 million miles apart. But during the Sun’s conjunction, the two will be about 235 million miles apart. The solar conjunction also affects NASA’s ability to communicate and send signals to spacecraft on Mars.
“It is impossible to predict what information might be lost due to the disturbance of the Sun’s charged particles, and the lost information could potentially harm the spacecraft,” NASA said.
“Instead, before the solar conjunction occurs, engineers will send instructions for two weeks and wait. The Mars spacecraft command moratorium in 2023 is in effect from November 11 to November 25,” NASA added.
But scientists have stressed that this does not mean missions to Mars will end. NASA, said Mars Relay Network Manager Roy Gladden, their team has spent months preparing task lists for all Mars spacecraft.
“We will still be able to hear from them and check their health conditions over the next few weeks,” he said.
This article was published on detikInet with the title Mars Disappears for 2 Weeks, What Sign?
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2023-11-26 20:00:54
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