Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2021 March 13

                          SuperCam Target on Ma'az
                Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS

   Explanation: What's the sound of one laser zapping? There's no need to
   consult a Zen master to find out, just listen to the first acoustic
   recording of laser shots on Mars. On Perseverance mission sol 12 (March
   2) the SuperCam instrument atop the rover's mast zapped a rock dubbed
   Ma'az 30 times from a range of about 3.1 meters. Its microphone
   recorded the soft staccato popping sounds of the rapid series of
   SuperCam laser zaps. Shockwaves created in the thin martian atmosphere
   as bits of rock are vaporized by the laser shots make the popping
   sounds, sounds that offer clues to the physical structure of the
   target. This SuperCam close-up of the Ma'az target region is 6
   centimeters (2.3 inches) across. Ma'az means Mars in the Navajo
   language.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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