rover mission.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Prepare to drag out an interesting piece of house trivia to wow your pals at your subsequent get together. There’s a 1909 Lincoln-head penny on Mars, and it has an vital job to do. NASA’s Curiosity Rover has been exploring the Gale Crater on the purple planet since 2012 and the penny has been alongside for the trip.
NASA dropped a reminder concerning the penny on X on March 21 together with an evidence of why it’s there. “This can be a 1909 Lincoln penny, and it’s a part of the calibration goal for my MAHLI instrument,” the rover group tweeted. “The penny is a nod to a geology custom, the place an object of identified scale is used as a dimension reference for close-up images of rocks and soil.”
MAHLI’s full identify is Mars Hand Lens Imager. It capabilities loads like a hand-held magnifying lens, the sort a human geologist would use on Earth. It may possibly take close-up pictures of the Martian floor to spotlight particulars of rocks and different panorama options. MAHLI is situated on the tip of Curiosity’s extendable arm.
NASA might have picked any penny from any yr, however the 1909 penny has particular significance. That was the primary yr for Lincoln pennies and it additionally marked 100 years after Abraham Lincoln’s start.
The penny isn’t alone on the calibration goal. Word the stair-step sample above it. “MAHLI can present three-dimensional info by taking a collection of pictures at totally different focal ranges or by shifting the digicam between two pictures to yield stereo-pair pictures,” mentioned NASA in an explainer. “The stair-step sample on the backside of the goal, plus the penny, assist with three-dimensional calibration utilizing identified floor shapes.” Curiosity rover’s MAHLI calibration goal.NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin House Science Techniques/Crimson circle by Amanda Kooser
There’s a hidden deal with slightly below the black-and-white sample: a tiny line drawing of a cartoon determine. It’s formed like a blob with legs and arms and antennae. That’s Joe the Martian. Joe has a historical past as a public outreach mascot for speaking Mars science to kids.
There’s another vital piece to the calibration goal. What seems to be like a palette of watercolors on the high is definitely pigmented silicone. These rectangles assist researchers work out the colour and brightness of objects imaged by MAHLI.
from September 2023.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
The Lincoln penny can be a marker of change on Mars. Curiosity has weathered mud storms, brutal chilly and rocky landscapes. The penny displays that journey. It was clear when it arrived and has since proven the impacts of time and dirt on the mission. “The general public can look ahead to adjustments within the penny over the long run on Mars. Will it change coloration? Will it corrode? Will it get pitted by windblown sand?” mentioned Curiosity venture scientist Ken Edgett again earlier than the rover mission reached Mars in 2012.
MAHLI zoomed in on the penny in late 2023 and revealed a dust-covered Lincoln, however with the phrases nonetheless legible regardless of the powdery coating. Pennies survive numerous pockets and put on and tear on Earth, so maybe it’s not shocking to see one dealing with the tough circumstances on Mars.
Curiosity is working to grasp whether or not or not Mars may need been liveable for microbial life up to now. The long-lived rover has uncovered details about the historical past of water in Gale Crater and noticed proof of natural materials, although the origin of these molecules is unsure. The rover’s Lincoln penny could have misplaced its shine, but it surely appears to nonetheless be giving Curiosity loads of luck on its persevering with mission.
Comply with me on Twitter or LinkedIn. I started my journalism profession with Entrepreneur journal with a concentrate on small enterprise know-how. As a contract journalist, I’ve lined devices, geek tradition, public faculties, bizarre meals, transatlantic journey and Route 66. Over the previous decade, my focus has been on fascinating aspects of science, from goofy rocks on Mars to historical bugs trapped in amber. I’m a longtime contributor to CNET and have additionally labored with New Mexico Journal, Komando.com, Albuquerque Enterprise First and Albuquerque the Journal. I really like diving into quirky science tales to speak complicated matters in a enjoyable and accessible method. My favourite planet is Earth, however Mars is an in depth second.Learn MoreRead Much less