Dust devils on Mars produce lightning-like zaps of electricity

Electrified whirlwinds on Mars can produce lightning-like discharges, which could pose a threat to the rovers trundling around on the Red Planet’s surface.

Severe weather on Mars can sometimes create dust devils, whirlwinds of Martian soil that spin for a few minutes before vanishing. Dust devils form on Earth too, and they can become electrified when the larger dust particles they carry – which tend to be positively charged – fall to the ground, while smaller and negatively charged particles are lofted upwards. If this electric field becomes large…