Lightning detected on Mars by Nasa rover, scientists believe

Researchers heard electric crackles on 28 hours of recordings made over two Martian years.

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Nasa's Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars in 2021, was sent to search for signs of biology and has spent the last four years exploring the Jezero Crater region.

Electrical discharges nicknamed "mini lightning" were picked up from audio and electromagnetic recordings made by the rover's SuperCam instrument.

Scientists hope new instruments for measuring atmospheric discharges and more-sensitive cameras could be sent to Mars to try to confirm the findings.

A team of researchers from France analysed 28 hours of microphone recordings made by the Nasa rover over two Martian years (or 1,374 Earth days).