Nasa’s Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars in 2021, has recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, suggesting the planet is capable of lightning.
The BBC reports that electrical discharges nicknamed “mini lightning” were picked up from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover’s SuperCam instrument.
Scientists hope new instruments for measuring atmospheric discharges and more sensitive cameras could be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.
The Perseverance rover was sent to search for signs of biology and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.
A team of researchers from France analysed 28 hours of microphone recordings made by the Nasa rover over two Martian years (or 1,374 Earth days), finding electrical discharges were normally associated with dust devils and dust storm fronts.
Lead author of the research Dr Baptiste Chide told news agency Reuters: “These discharges represent a major discovery, with direct implications for Martian atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability and the future of robotic and human exploration.”
The BBC notes that Perseverance was sent to the Jezero Crater because this area showed qualities that may have meant it was once conducive to life, including signs it was once a delta when Mars could sustain liquid surface water.
Today, Mars is a cold and arid desert. But billions of years ago, evidence suggests, it had a thick atmosphere and water. This makes it a promising place to look for past life.
[Image: By Kevin M. Gill – https://www.flickr.com/photos/53460575@N03/16729590606/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95510530]