# When Will We "Hear" Mars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618 "2009-10-29T15:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/1 "2009-10-29T15:56:09Z")
I recall that one of the Mars landers (crashed) carried a microphone, so that we could hear the winds of Mars. Does anynone know which or any of the future mssions will carry a microphone? Because that atmosphere of Mars is so thin, are the wind sounds likely to be very faint? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/2 "2009-10-29T16:18:51Z")
I don’t think a lander has carried a microphone yet - they’ve come close a couple of times, but the idea’s been scrapped so far (I think) The Phoenix lander had one, but didn’t get used. Here’s a [little bit on it](http://www.planetary.org/news/2008/0918_Phoenix_Mission_Receives_OK_to_Listen.html). Google _Mars microphone_ for a bunch of pages. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/3 "2009-10-29T16:50:26Z")
The failed Polar Lander mission had a microphone on it. I’m surprised its taken this long to stick another one on a lander but in these situation there are a lot of instruments that want to be a spacecraft (or rather, a lot of people who want their particular doo-hickey to fly) and limited power and processing resources to accommodate them all. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/4 "2009-10-29T17:28:51Z")
If a rock falls on Mars, and there’s no microphone to hear it, does it make a sound? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/5 "2009-10-30T03:21:03Z")
A duck’s quack’s echo equal the sound is to. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Quack\_s\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@Duck\_Quack\_s\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Quack_s_Echo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/6 "2009-10-30T04:50:06Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A duck’s quack’s echo equal the sound is to. For some reason I’m not following your logic or even finding any meaning in your post. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/7 "2009-10-30T05:13:18Z")
Mars sounds like this: [http://www.gargaro.com/MaRvInWaVs/angry.wav](http://www.gargaro.com/MaRvInWaVs/angry.wav) Here’s the image that the mars lander will be sending back at the time: [![](https://milesobrien.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/10-marvin-the-martian.jpg) ](https://milesobrien.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/10-marvin-the-martian.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/8 "2009-10-30T14:04:30Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Mars sounds like this: > [http://www.gargaro.com/MaRvInWaVs/angry.wav](http://www.gargaro.com/MaRvInWaVs/angry.wav) > > Here’s the image that the mars lander will be sending back at the time: > [Miles O'Brien: Image](http://milesobrien.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/10-marvin-the-martian.jpg) New background for the work computer! ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/9 "2009-10-30T16:41:30Z")
> [@Duck\_Quack\_s\_Echo](#): > > For some reason I’m not following your logic or even finding any meaning in your post. 😃 I think LSL was in Yodaspeak mode. I’m not sure how to equate the sound on Mars to a Duck’s Echo - which sounds a lot like a duck… So LSL is saying that Mars sounds like a duck. I, for one, would like to see the source citations for this. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/10 "2009-10-30T17:14:57Z")
> [@](#): > > So LSL is saying that Mars sounds like a duck. [Python] So if Mars sounds the same as a duck, it’s made of wood? [/Python] ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/11 "2009-10-30T17:39:13Z")
Recall you not the controversy? Duck’s quack not echo some say. Mars’ sounds and duck’s quack echo hear one not with no mike. Yoda on Mars now overused joke is. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/12 "2009-10-30T19:23:54Z")
This has simulated Martian atmospheric noise, and some nice classical music too: [http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Mars-Music-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00000G3WE/ref=sr\_1\_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256930570&sr=1-6](http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Mars-Music-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00000G3WE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256930570&sr=1-6) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-we-hear-mars/515618/13 "2009-10-30T20:05:55Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A duck’s quack’s echo equal the sound is to. ‘Failed Palindromes’ is a couple of fora over - Game Room, I think.