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Mars Rover Detects Elusive Lightning Strikes!
26 Nov
Summary
- Perseverance rover's microphone captured audio signals of lightning.
- Fifty-five electrical discharge events were detected over two Martian years.
- Lightning on Mars could pose a threat to future astronaut missions.
Scientists have uncovered compelling new evidence suggesting lightning strikes are occurring on Mars. Recordings from NASA's Perseverance rover, specifically audio data captured by its SuperCam microphone, revealed 55 distinct events over a period of two Martian years that exhibit characteristics of electrical discharges. These findings were published in the journal Nature.
The analysis indicated that these potential lightning events frequently correlated with conditions involving strong winds, dust devils, and dust storms. This correlation leads researchers to theorize that friction from dust particles on Mars' arid surface is responsible for generating the necessary electrical charges, similar to how dust devils on Earth can produce static electricity.
This groundbreaking detection offers unprecedented insight into Mars' atmospheric phenomena. The researchers emphasize that a deeper understanding of these electrostatic discharges is crucial for safeguarding future robotic and human missions to the Red Planet, highlighting a potential hazard for explorers.
