Mars is one of the planets in the Solar System most explored by humanity. Although we have not yet set foot on its surface, several probes have already been sent to the planet to reveal more about its history. Recently, These devices were even able to detect the sounds of lightning.
According to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature, a group of researchers believes they have identified patterns that resemble lightning in . The sounds were captured by the microphone installed on the Perseverance roversent by NASA to the planet in 2021.
Lightning sounds detected on Mars?
In all, the rover collected data on 55 occurrences of possible “mini lightning” in especially during days with wind storms. Records indicate that some of these emissions occurred just two meters away from the microphone installed on the probe.
The study analyzed 28 hours of rover recordings. Some of the supposed lightning strikes lasted only a few seconds, while others lasted up to 30 minutes.
Lightning on Mars occurs in a similar way to thunderstorms on Earth, but is almost invisible to the naked eye and produces much fainter sounds.
What happens is that as the Martian atmosphere is extremely thin and rich in carbon dioxide, the sound of these discharges ends up being absorbed by the environment.
The weakest signals were , while the most intense occurred amid thunderstorms. In any case, it is worth highlighting that scientists cannot yet say with complete certainty that the sounds were caused by lightning on Mars.
Even so, the possible discovery is seen as relevant, since Researchers have been looking for signs of electrical activity on the planet for more than 50 years.
More data to confirm the discovery
The study authors state that the evidence is consistent, but emphasize that it is based on records from just one piece of equipment: the .
As there has not yet been confirmation by other instruments, researchers warn that it is not possible to rely solely on data from a single observation.
According to Daniel Mitchard, an associate at Cardiff University who was not involved in the research, everything indicates that the sounds are from lightning on Mars. However, he points out that without new instruments recording this data, it is not yet possible to confirm the discovery.
“This opens up a completely new field of investigation for Martian science. It’s like finding a missing piece of the puzzle”, explains the main author of the study and researcher at the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology in Toulouse (France), Baptiste Chide, in an official message.
