A NASA rover on Mars has recorded a rare phenomenon for the first time on the surface of the planet. It has recorded the sounds of electrical sparks and mini-sonic booms caused by dust devils. The recordings, picked up by the rover Perseverance, confirm decades-old theories that these occurrences could happen on the Red Planet.
NASA’S MARS ROVER REVEALS DIVERSITY OF WILD WEATHER ON THE RED PLANET
Before the Perseverance Mars rover landed on the planet in February 2021, scientists theorized that friction between tiny dust grains that were caught in the dust devils could generate enough of an electrical charge that they could eventually produce electrical arcs, or discharges.
NASA’s Perseverance rover picked up electric sparks in Mars dust devils. September 6, 2025
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI / FOX Weather)
According to NASA, these dust devils produce about the same amount of spark as someone walking on a carpet with socks on and then touching a metal doorknob, known as the triboelectric effect.
While dust devils are not new to Mars, with Perseverance recording one on Sept. 5, the sounds and charges are rare phenomena. The sounds were recorded by the Mars rover in Oct. 2024. NASA believes that the proof of these discharges could dramatically change our understanding of the Red Planet, saying the atmosphere can become sufficiently charged to activate chemical reactions.
