It may be millions of miles away, but Earth has not forgotten that Mars is having a big party. On February 7, 2021, the red planet will celebrate the New Year – at least according to our calendar on Earth.
Since one Mars year is 687 Earth days (and 668.6 Mars days, or sols), the occasion occurs only about every two Earth years, marked by the Spring / Fall equinox in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively.
Since the current Martian calendar began in 1955, it has been the New Year Mars Year 36.
It’s going to be a big one for our planetary friend. Three missions will arrive on Mars in the coming days. The United Arab Emirates has sent a revolving probe called Al-Amal, or Hope, which will arrive first on Feb. 9. It will study the atmosphere and weather of Mars, with a view to assessing the planet for a human settlement.
The Chinese Tianwen-1 is expected to reach Mars orbit on February 10. The mission consists of a solar-powered orbiter, lander and rover, the last two of which will be brought to the surface in May for a comprehensive study of the Utopia impact basin.
The US sent NASA’s Perseverance, a rover scheduled to land in the Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, a target rich in clay – evidence that the region once contained water. The rover will look for evidence of past life and habitability, and collect samples that will be returned to Earth by two other missions currently in development.
It’s no coincidence that all three missions arrive at the same time: Due to the challenges posed by sending a spacecraft to Mars, about every two years and two months there is a window through which a spacecraft can reach Mars with the minimum energy required. That window was last in July to September last year.
That the newcomers all take place during the New Year of Mars is therefore a happy coincidence. As all three missions will explore different parts of Mars, Mars Year 36 promises to be a brave new era for Mars science.
So Happy New Year, Mars! We hope you like your new robot friends. And soon we may celebrate with you personally.
You can read more about the March year on the ESA website.