Seismic waves crossing Mars’ core reveal details of the Red Planet’s heart

A Marsquake and an impact let researchers measure the physical properties of the planet’s core

An illustration of Mars cut in half to see the inner workings of the planet and its core.

Like Earth, Mars has a layered nature (illustrated here), consisting of a crust, mantle and core.

Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Plus

Mars’ heart is about the size of our moon, and almost twice as dense.