Mars Has Lightning, and Scientists Are Freaking Out

For decades, Mars researchers suspected the Red Planet had its own form of electrical activity. Now, thanks to NASA’s Perseverance rover, scientists can confirm it: Mars really does produce lightning, and far more easily than Earth.

A new study published in Nature reveals that charged dust in the Martian atmosphere builds up electricity during storms and dust devils, eventually releasing it as bursts of lightning. Until now, lightning has only been confirmed on three worlds: Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The discovery changes what scientists understand about Martian chemistry, exploration risks, and the planet’s ability to preserve organic material.

Perseverance Picked Up 55 Electric Bursts in Martian Dust Storms

To detect lightning, researchers analyzed 28 hours of microphone recordings from Perseverance over two Martian years. The rover’s audio gear picked up electromagnetic pops and crackles, which are the unmistakable signatures of electrical discharge.

Researchers detected 55 electrical events, nearly all occurring when winds were at their strongest. That aligns perfectly with a phenomenon called triboelectrification. When dust and sand particles rub together, they exchange charge.

On Earth, this rarely produces lightning. On Mars, the opposite is true. The thin CO2 atmosphere means sparks require far less energy. In dust devils, which can be 20 times more common in other Martian regions, conditions are ideal for electrical bursts.

Study co-author Baptiste Chide explains:

“On Earth, the electrification of dust, sand and snow particles is well-documented, particularly in desert regions, but it rarely results in actual electrical discharges. On Mars, however, the thin CO₂ atmosphere makes this phenomenon far more likely, as the amount of charge required to generate sparks is much lower than on Earth.”

The finding provides the first convincing evidence that lightning actually occurs on Mars, according to planetary scientist Francis Nimmo, who says the confirmation will trigger new observational campaigns from orbit and from Earth.

Why Lightning on Mars Matters

Lightning fundamentally changes the Martian environment and creates new concerns for future astronauts and space hardware.

First of all, electric discharge can create highly reactive chemical environments, speeding oxidation and degrading organic molecules, which is bad news for detecting ancient life.

Secondly, sparks could threaten rovers, bases, instruments, and suits. One famous example includes the Soviet Mars 3 lander, which transmitted for just 15 seconds during a dust storm before dying. Researchers now suspect electrical discharge may have destroyed it.

Finally, electrified dust could influence atmospheric chemistry in ways scientists haven’t modeled yet.

To confirm their findings, researchers recreated Martian dust discharges in a lab using a replica of Perseverance’s SuperCam and observed the same electrical behavior seen on Mars.

This discovery resets the scientific understanding of Martian weather and adds lightning to the list of hazards the first humans on Mars will need to prepare for.

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