Perseverance Detects Mars Lightning-Like Discharges

Scientists have detected electrical discharges akin to lightning on Mars for the first time, using audio recordings from NASA's Perseverance rover. The findings, based on 28 hours of microphone data collected over two Martian years in Jezero Crater, reveal 55 instances of small-scale electrical activity triggered by dust particles rubbing together in the planet's thin atmosphere.

The rover's SuperCam microphone, originally designed to record sounds during laser analysis of rocks, captured acoustic crackles and electromagnetic interference from these events. All but one occurred during the windiest periods, with many coinciding with dust devils and storms. The discharges, lasting from seconds to 30 minutes, produced energy levels comparable to a static shock from a doorknob, with the largest estimated at 40 millijoules. Researchers confirmed the signals through laboratory simulations that replicated the interference patterns observed in the recordings.

Triboelectrification, the process where friction between particles transfers electrical charge, drives this activity. On Mars, frequent dust storms spanning thousands of kilometers and swirling dust devils create ideal conditions...