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NASA Recorded Lightning Crackling on Mars for the First Time
Perseverance detected 55 micro-lightning events over two Martian years, mostly during dust storms and dust devils, revealing new insights into Mars' atmospheric electricity and hazards.
- On Wednesday, NASA's Perseverance rover recorded 55 electrical-discharge events over two Martian years, a finding led by Baptiste Chide's team using the SuperCam microphone published in Nature.
- Triboelectric charging from rubbing dust particles occurs as fast winds, dust devils and dust storms rub silicate dust particles together, while Mars's thin, carbon-dioxide atmosphere lowers the charge needed for sparks.
- By studying 28 hours of SuperCam audio the researchers identified electromagnetic 'blips', 8-millisecond ringdowns, tiny sonic-boom signatures, and validated these with a SuperCam replica and Wimshurst machine.
- Chide said the discovery has implications for Martian atmospheric chemistry and should guide designs protecting future robotic missions and human explorers from electrostatic discharges.
- Although presented as the first direct detection, researchers note the study faces debate due to previous 2009 microwave detection attempts and calls for future instruments and verification missions.
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For the first time in the history of the exploration of the planet Mars, electric shocks have been detected in its atmosphere. The recording comes from the microphone of the designed SuperCam laser camera...
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Total News Sources176
Leaning Left38Leaning Right16Center72Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 30%
C 57%
13%
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