Kathmandu: Scientists say they have detected what appears to be lightning on Mars after analyzing audio captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover, according to the Associated Press (AP).
A French-led research team reported that the rover’s microphone picked up crackling electrical discharges, described as “mini lightning”, during dust storms and dust devils. The team documented 55 such events over two Martian years. The discharges, just centimeters in size, occurred within two meters of the rover’s mast and were audible amid wind gusts and dust hitting the microphone.
Lead author Baptiste Chide of the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology said the findings “open a completely new field of investigation for Mars science,” offering insight into chemical reactions triggered by electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere.
Scientists have searched for evidence of lightning on Mars for decades. While AP reports the evidence is strong, some researchers remain cautious because the signals were only heard, not seen, and confirmed using a single instrument originally designed to record laser blasts, not lightning.
Electrical discharges lasted seconds during dust devils and up to 30 minutes during dust storms, the study noted. Mars’ thin, carbon dioxide–rich atmosphere makes the zaps faint but increases the likelihood of static-like electrical activity compared with Earth.
Experts told AP the discharges are unlikely to pose danger to future astronauts but could affect sensitive equipment.
Perseverance has been exploring Mars’ Jezero Crater since 2021, collecting rock samples in search of ancient microbial life. NASA’s plan to return these samples to Earth remains on hold as the agency evaluates cheaper mission alternatives.