Washington, D.C. [US], November 27 (ANI/WAM): NASA’s Perseverance rover has found evidence that Mars’ atmosphere is electrically active, detecting electrical discharges—described by one scientist as “mini-lightning”—often associated with whirlwinds called dust devils that traverse the planet’s surface.
The six-wheeled rover, exploring Mars since 2021 at Jezero Crater in the northern hemisphere, recorded these discharges through audio and electromagnetic measurements taken by its SuperCam remote-sensing instrument. This marks the first documentation of electrical activity in the thin Martian atmosphere.
“These discharges represent a major discovery, with direct implications for Martian atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability, and the future of robotic and human exploration,” said planetary scientist Baptiste Chide of the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology in France, lead author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Chide added, “The electrical charges required for these discharges are likely to influence dust transport on Mars, a process fundamental to the planet’s climate and one that remains poorly understood. Moreover, these electrostatic discharges could pose a risk to the electronic equipment of current robotic missions—and even a hazard for astronauts who one day will explore the Red Planet.”
Mars now joins Earth, Saturn, and Jupiter as planets known to exhibit atmospheric electrical activity. Although not yet documented, other worlds in the solar system, including Venus, Uranus, and Saturn’s moon Titan, may also display similar phenomena, according to researchers. (ANI/WAM)
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