Wow, NASA Spacecraft Spots Lightning in Jupiter Storm

NASAThe Juno spacecraft continues to send back some of our eye-opening views strange solar system,

space agency recently released a vivid image from Jupiter-orbiting mission showing flashes of lightning inside Jovian storm. In the midst of this whirling vortex, clouds of “ammonia-water solution” flashed, little different from the puffy water vapor clouds we have here on Earth.

Juno snapped this image on its 31st trip around the gas giant, a planet so large it has about 100 moons. The image, originally captured in 2020, was processed last year and released by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which frequently shares images from its robotic extraterrestrial missions, particularly those to Mars and Jupiter.

So far, Juno has swooped around Jupiter more than 50 times, most recently capturing stunning imagery of the volcanic moon Io – the most volcanically active world in our solar system. Last year, Juno also flew by the moon Europa, capturing rich views of the natural satellite’s cracked, icy surface. NASA suspects that this moon almost certainly harbors a glowing ocean. (the agency is preparing for mission launch there also.)

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Jupiter is famously stormy. Its Great Red Spot, a vortex larger than Earth, has been spinning for centuries. Fiery clouds of water and ammonia swirl in an atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium.

And NASA expects to see more lightning in these storm clouds. “In the coming months, Juno’s orbit will repeatedly take it closer to Jupiter as the spacecraft passes the giant planet’s night side, which will provide even more opportunities for Juno’s science instruments to catch lightning in the act. ” the agency said,

Also on the horizon is Juno’s closest pass ever to Io, which will occur in late December and again in January 2024. spacecraft will pass just some 930 miles From the Jovian moon, and its erupting volcanoes.

NASAThe Juno spacecraft continues to send back some of our eye-opening views strange solar system,

space agency recently released a vivid image from Jupiter-orbiting mission showing flashes of lightning inside Jovian storm. In the midst of this whirling vortex, clouds of “ammonia-water solution” flashed, little different from the puffy water vapor clouds we have here on Earth.

Juno snapped this image on its 31st trip around the gas giant, a planet so large it has about 100 moons. The image, originally captured in 2020, was processed last year and released by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which frequently shares images from its robotic extraterrestrial missions, particularly those to Mars and Jupiter.

So far, Juno has swooped around Jupiter more than 50 times, most recently capturing stunning imagery of the volcanic moon Io – the most volcanically active world in our solar system. Last year, Juno also flew by the moon Europa, capturing rich views of the natural satellite’s cracked, icy surface. NASA suspects that this moon almost certainly harbors a glowing ocean. (the agency is preparing for mission launch there also.)

want more Science More tech news delivered straight to your inbox? sign up for Mashable’s Light Speed ​​newsletter Today.

Jupiter is famously stormy. Its Great Red Spot, a vortex larger than Earth, has been spinning for centuries. Fiery clouds of water and ammonia swirl in an atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium.

And NASA expects to see more lightning in these storm clouds. “In the coming months, Juno’s orbit will repeatedly take it closer to Jupiter as the spacecraft passes the giant planet’s night side, which will provide even more opportunities for Juno’s science instruments to catch lightning in the act. ” the agency said,

Also on the horizon is Juno’s closest pass ever to Io, which will occur in late December and again in January 2024. spacecraft will pass just some 930 miles From the Jovian moon, and its erupting volcanoes.