Having a conversation on Mars would be impossible.
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A study conducted by NASA’s perseverance rover to measure the speed of sound on the Red Planet has shown that the atmosphere impacts the way in which sound travels and would make listening to music or having a conversation sound jumbled.
The study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature, found that the speed of sound on Mars was slower with some pitches carrying inconsistently.
Compared to Earth, where sound travels at 767 mph, the speed on Mars varied with high-pitched noises travelling at 559mph and lower tones going even slower at 537mph.
Sylvestre Maurice, the study’s lead author, said: “On Earth, the sounds from an orchestra reach you at the same speed, whether they are low or high. But, imagine on Mars, if you are a little far from the stage, there will be a big delay.”
NASA added: “Because the Mars atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide (Earth’s atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen), higher-frequency noises will likely be more attenuated than bass pitches, meaning we probably won’t hear them as well as lower-pitched sounds.”
