NASA’s Perseverance rover, which has been exploring the Jezero Crater region for almost four years in order to identify biological traces, made a revolutionary discovery.
Since landing in 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover has recorded the first thunderstorms in the Martian atmosphere.
The Martian atmosphere is more than 100 times thinner than Earth’s and is composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon.
Recordings from the rover’s SuperCam instrument captured signals in audio and electromagnetic data, which have been dubbed “mini lightning bolts.”
Scientists hope to confirm the discovery by sending advanced instruments and more sensitive cameras to Mars to detect lightning strikes.
A team of scientists from France examined 28 hours of microphone recording data made by NASA’s rover over two Martian years (equivalent to 1,374 Earth days).
The investigation revealed that these electrical discharges typically occurred in conjunction with dust devils and dust storm fronts.
Dust devils can be described as those small whirlwinds powered by hot air rising from the surface, and the friction from their internal rotating motion can generate electrical discharges.
Dr. Baptiste Chide, lead author of the study, said Reuters“These discharges represent an important discovery, with direct implications for atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability, and the future of robotic and human exploration of Mars.”
The study, carried out at the French Astrophysics and Planetology Research Institute, appeared in the journal Nature on November 26, 2025.
Dr. Baptiste and his team believe that Mars now joins Earth, Saturn and Jupiter as planets known to have atmospheric electrical activity.
