Perseverance Rover Detects Sparks on Mars

Scientists using NASA's Perseverance rover have detected electrical discharges on Mars for the first time, capturing the sounds and signals of small sparks generated by dust storms and whirlwinds on the planet's surface. The rover, which has been exploring Jezero Crater since its landing in February 2021, recorded these events through a microphone on its SuperCam instrument, originally designed to analyze rocks with lasers.

A team led by Baptiste Chide of the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology in Toulouse, France, analyzed more than 28 hours of audio from the rover's first two Martian years, or about four Earth years. They identified 55 instances of what they describe as mini-lightning, with nearly all occurring during the windiest conditions, particularly in dust devils and larger dust storms. These discharges, lasting from a few seconds to as long as 30 minutes, produced audible crackles and electromagnetic signals amid the gusts and impacts of dust particles.

The sparks arise from friction between tiny dust grains rubbing together in the Martian winds, a process that charges particles with electrons. On Mars, the thin carbon dioxide atmosphere, about 100...