Scientists believe they have recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, suggesting the planet is capable of producing lightning.
NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, was sent in search of biological signs and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.
The electrical discharges dubbed “mini lightning bolts” were detected from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover’s SuperCam instrument.
Scientists hope that new instruments to measure atmospheric discharges and more sensitive cameras can be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.
A team of researchers from France analyzed 28 hours of microphone recordings made by NASA’s rover over two Martian years (or 1,374 Earth days).
They found that electrical discharges were typically associated with dust devils and dust storm fronts.
Dust devils are small whirlwinds that form from hot air rising from the ground, and their internal movements can lead to electrical discharges.
Lead author of the research, Dr Baptiste Chide, told Reuters news agency: “These discharges represent an important discovery, with direct implications for atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability and the future of robotic and human exploration of Mars.”
He and other scientists at France’s Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology believe Mars now joins Earth, Saturn and Jupiter as planets known to have atmospheric electrical activity.
Particle physicist Dr. Daniel Pritchard wrote in the scientific journal Nature that although the recordings “would provide convincing evidence of dust-induced discharges,” because the discharges were only heard and not seen, “there will inevitably remain some doubt as to whether this was indeed a Martian lightning strike.”
He added: “Given the history of this field, the debate is likely to continue for some time.”
In September this year, scientists found rocks with unusual markings on Mars.
The intriguing markings, dubbed leopard spots and poppy seeds, contain minerals produced by chemical reactions that could be associated with ancient microbes.
The minerals may have been produced by natural geological processes, but NASA said the features could be the clearest signs of life ever found.
Today Mars is a cold and arid desert. But billions of years ago there is evidence that it had a thick atmosphere and water, making it a promising place to search for past life.
Perseverance was sent to Jezero Crater because it showed qualities that could have meant it was once conducive to life, including signs that it was once a delta when Mars could support liquid surface water.
