InSight Lands on Mars Monday, Find a Viewing Event Near You

Jenny Flack

NASA’s latest Martian probe, InSight, has been in space for six and a half months.  On Monday, November 26th, it will finally attempt to land on the surface of Mars.  And, you can join any of a number of viewing parties set to watch the event live! 

RELATED:  NASA Opportunity Rover Hits Four Months of Silence on Mars

InSight is a stationary probe.  It’s not a rover like Opportunity and Curiosity.  InSight’s job will be to use the instruments at its disposal to measure subsurface movements and heat fluctuations on a two-year mission there.  It is set to land on a flat area near the Martian equator called Elysium Planitia, not terribly far from the landing sites of several other NASA probes.

NASA map of probe landing sites on surface of Mars.

This is NASA’s first spacecraft sent to Mars since Curiosity landed there in 2012.  It won’t be the last.  There is a Mars 2020 Rover mission in the works, and several private space travel companies have their eyes on the red planet.  

But, first thing’s first.  You can watch InSight land on the surface of Mars in real time.  The probe is expected to touch down around 12pm PT (3pm ET) on the 26th.  There are A LOT of viewing parties all over the U.S and beyond. Here is a COMPLETE LIST OF VIEWING PARTIES from NASA, searchable by your state/location.  You can also watch from the comfort of your own personal screen on NASA TV.

History is being made!  Don’t miss it!

 

 

Jenny Flack
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