Lightning detected on Mars by Nasa rover, scientists believe
Scientists believe they have recorded electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere for the first time, suggesting that the planet is capable of being struck by lightning.
NASA’s Perseverance rover, which lands on Mars in 2021, was sent to search for signs of biology and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.
Electrical discharges called “mini lightning” were detected from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover’s SuperCam device.
Scientists hope that new instruments and more sensitive cameras to measure atmospheric discharges can be sent to Mars to confirm the findings.
A research team from France analyzed 28 hours of microphone recordings made by the NASA rover over two Martian years (or 1,374 Earth days).
They found that electrical discharges are normally associated with dust devils and dust storm fronts.
Dust devils are small tornadoes of hot air rising from the ground, and their internal motions can cause electrical discharges.
Dr Baptiste Chide, lead author of the study, told the Reuters news agency: “These discharges represent a major discovery with direct implications for Mars’ atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability and the future of robotic and human exploration.”
He and other scientists at the Research Institute of Astrophysics and Planetology in France 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 “provide convincing evidence of dust-induced discharges” because the discharges were only heard and not seen, “some doubt will inevitably remain as to whether this was truly Martian lightning.”
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, called leopard spots and poppy seeds, contain minerals produced by chemical reactions that may be associated with ancient microbes.
It’s possible the minerals were produced by natural geological processes, but NASA said these features may be the clearest signs of life yet 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 look for past life.
Perseverance was sent to Jezero Crater because it showed characteristics that might mean it was once habitable, including signs that Mars was once a delta that could have fed liquid surface water.
