Lightning on Jupiter! Juno sees a green bolt

Lightning on Jupiter

On June 15, 2023, NASA released this stunning image of a lightning bolt in Jupiter’s atmosphere. NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured the electrifying shot back on December 30, 2020, during its 31st close flyby of the king of planets. Juno was about 19,900 miles (32,000 km) above Jupiter’s clouds when it captured this image. Later, in 2022, NASA engineer Kevin M. Gill, known for his incredible work with other astronomy images, processed the image from raw data.

You, too, can check out the raw data from the Juno mission and try your own hand at image processing. In fact, NASA has many citizen science projects that anyone can participate in by using just a cell phone or a laptop.

More about the image

At the time, Juno was passing over Jupiter at around 78 degrees North when it saw the giant electric storm. NASA said:

In this view of a vortex near Jupiter’s north pole, NASA’s Juno mission observed the glow from a bolt of lightning. On Earth, lightning bolts originate from water clouds and happen most frequently near the equator. On Jupiter, lightning likely also occurs in clouds containing an ammonia-water solution and can be seen most often near the poles.

Juno began orbiting Jupiter back in 2016. Now, NASA has extended its science mission until 2025. Notably, Juno’s orbits in the coming months will take it closer to the giant planet’s night side. And indeed, that means we might get to see more Jovian lightning bolts in the near future!

Eventually, at the end of its mission, Juno will perform a controlled deorbit into Jupiter. Likewise, Cassini ended its mission to Saturn with a similar maneuver into the Ringed Planet. NASA chooses to crash the spacecraft into the planets in an effort to eliminate space debris and lower the risk of contamination. These fiery endings are part of NASA’s interplanetary protection guidelines.

Bottom line: NASA’s Juno mission captured lightning on Jupiter. The greenish bolt of light stands out against a dark oval storm in the northern reaches of the planet.

Via NASA

Read more: Did lightning strikes spark life on Earth?

Read more: Ride along with Juno past Ganymede and Jupiter