Space Exploration

Researchers analyzing 28 hours of audio from NASA’s Perseverance rover report detecting 55 instances of crackling "mini lightning" — electrical arcs centimeters in size — within about 2 meters (6 feet) of the rover’s mast-mounted microphone, recorded over two Martian years and lasting seconds in dust devils and up to 30 minutes during dust storms. Lead author Baptiste Chide called the finding a "missing piece of the puzzle" with potential chemical effects, but Cardiff University’s Daniel Mitchard cautioned the phenomenon was "heard not seen" and that dedicated instruments are needed to fully confirm and assess risks to sensitive equipment; the results appear in Nature.