Distinctive sounds of Martian 'micro-lightning' recorded by NASA’s Perseverance rover for the first time — plus, the final outcomes of the UN’s COP30 climate conference.
Download the Nature Podcast 26 November 2025
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00:46 Martian ‘micro-lightning’
The sounds of ‘micro-lightning’ have been recorded by NASA’s Perseverance rover, ending a long search for the phenomenon on Mars. A lack of suitable equipment has made it difficult to gather evidence of lightning on the red planet, but a team of researchers realized that a microphone on Perseverance should be able to pick up the characteristic sounds of electrical discharges. In total they found 55 such examples, along with signs of electrostatic interference indicative of the phenomenon. They dubbed the electric bursts ‘micro-lightning’, as they are far smaller than the lighting seen on Earth, due to the thin Martian atmosphere. The team believe this finding could help better understand Martian chemistry and how best to design equipment to explore the planet’s surface.
Research Article: Chide et al.
News and Views: Is there lightning on Mars?
11:03 Research Highlights
How the biology of male seahorses’ brood pouches appears similar to mammalian pregnancy— plus, why Neanderthals’ jaws were so beefy.
Research Highlight: The origin of male seahorses’ brood pouch
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