They find a discovery on Mars that could change the future of research on the red planet

For decades, the exploration of Mars has been marked by a recurring goal: to understand if it ever harbored life. Every mission sent to the red planet, from the first probes to the sophisticated current rovers, seeks to unravel the secrets of its geology, its climate, and its atmosphere. However, not all discoveries have to do with microscopic fossils or ancient water traces. Sometimes, an unexpected revelation can modify research plans and force a redefinition of scientific priorities. One of those findings has just occurred and is generating enormous expectation. Researchers have confirmed for the first time the presence of electrical activity in the Martian atmosphere, a phenomenon that, although it had been suspected for years, had never been demonstrated with direct evidence. These discharges, very different from the lightning we see on Earth, have been detected from data collected by the rover Perseverance, which has been operating in the Jezero crater since 2021.

A hidden electrical phenomenon among Martian dust

Mars is an arid, windy, and extremely dusty world. Its dust storms can span hundreds of kilometers and last for days or weeks, creating swirls and turbulence that alter visibility and modify atmospheric conditions. It was logical to think that, under these scenarios, electrical sparks similar to those we see in terrestrial deserts could be generated. Now we know for sure: triboelectric discharges occur, small "sparks" resulting from the friction between dust particles lifted by the wind. They are not like terrestrial lightning, which releases millions of times more energy, but they do constitute real electrical activity. To reach this conclusion, scientists analyzed hours of acoustic recordings obtained with a microphone from Perseverance's SuperCam instrument. In them, they identified 55 electrical events, mainly linked to dust devils and fronts. One of the most surprising aspects is the proximity of some of these downloads to the rover: some signals indicate that they occurred just a few centimeters from the microphone. Although the energy is low and unable to put a mission at risk, it shows that Perseverance is immersed in a much more dynamic environment than was believed.