Space & Astronomy

Scientists detect lightning in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time

By T.K. Randall
November 29, 2025 ·  2 comments

Image Credit: NASA / JPL It appears as though Mars may have just been added to an exclusive group of planets - including Jupiter, Saturn and the Earth - that are capable of producing atmospheric lightning.

The discovery comes courtesy of NASA's Perseverance rover which was able to capture audio and electromagnetic recordings of lightning-like electrical discharges using its SuperCam instrument.

"These discharges represent a major discovery, with direct implications for Martian atmospheric chemistry, climate, habitability and the future of robotic and human exploration," study lead author Dr Baptiste Chide told Reuters.The researchers - who analyzed 28 hours of microphone recordings - found that the electrical activity was associated with dust storms on Mars.

The discovery has prompted calls for a dedicated probe to be sent to Mars with instrumentation designed specifically to further analyze and confirm the presence of the lightning.

This is especially important as, so far at least, the phenomenon has only been heard, not observed.

One thing's for sure - if a future mission does actually manage to capture a photograph of lightning on Mars, it will be one for the record books.

Source: BBC News | Comments (2)

Tags: Mars, Lightning