NASA's Perseverance rover has obtained evidence that the atmosphere of Mars is electrically active, detecting electrical discharges - what one scientist called "mini-lightning" - often associated with whirlwinds called dust devils that regularly saunter over the planet's surface.The six-wheeled rover, exploring Mars since 2021 at a locale called Jezero Crater in its northern hemisphere, picked up these electrical discharges in audio and electromagnetic recordings made by its SuperCam remote-