NASA’s Perseverance rover recorded electrical discharges during dust storms, suggesting possible ‘mini-lightning’ on Mars after 50-year search.
ISTANBUL: Scientists have identified possible lightning on Mars after analysing wind data collected by a NASA robotic spacecraft.
A French-led research team reported that a microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover recorded crackling sounds of electrical discharges.
Researchers documented 55 instances of what they call “mini-lightning” over two Martian years, equivalent to nearly four Earth years.
Most electrical activity occurred during dust storms on the Red Planet.
The tiny electrical arcs happened within about six feet of the microphone mounted on Perseverance’s mast.
Researchers said sparks from these electrical bursts can be clearly heard amid Martian wind gusts and swirling dust.
Baptiste Chide, lead author of the study, said scientists have searched for lightning signs on Mars for the past 50 years.
Another scientist cautioned that evidence comes from a single instrument originally designed to study rock composition.
The electrical discharges were heard but not directly observed by the research team.
Until new instruments can verify the results, researchers may still question whether Mars truly has lightning.
Lightning has already been confirmed on other planets like Jupiter and Saturn. – Bernama
