In a significant breakthrough, NASA's Perseverance rover detected electrical activity in Mars' atmosphere for the first time. The finding is crucial as it implies that a lightning event is very much possible in the Martian atmosphere.
The electrical discharges, nicknamed as 'mini lightning', were picked from audio and electromagnetic recordings by the rover's SuperCam instrument.
A paper titled Detection of triboelectric discharges during dust events on Mars published in Nature on November 26, 2025, stated, "We report in situ detections of triboelectric discharges, identified by their electrical and acoustic signatures captured by the SuperCam microphone aboard the Perseverance rover."
It also highlighted that fifty-five events have been detected over two Martian years, commonly linked with dust devils and dust storm convective fronts.
It added that "These serendipitous observations demonstrate that Martian electric fields can reach the breakdown threshold of the near-surface atmosphere of Mars, predicted to be on the order of several tens of kV m−1"
The BBC highlighted that scientists wish for new instruments for measuring atmospheric discharges, and more sensitive cameras may be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.
Perseverance was sent to the Jezero Crater as it displayed qualities that meant the planet was once conducive to life.