Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

Stealth superstorms reveal lightning on Jupiter: Beyond the superbolt

Jupiter's lightning has long been of interest to planetary scientists, as it marks stormy spots where researchers can look to learn more about convection in Jupiter's atmosphere. Observing lightning from a distance can be tricky, so scientists have focused on the bolts that are easiest to study: str...

Stealth superstorms reveal lightning on Jupiter: Beyond the superbolt
Image: Phys.org
Jupiter's lightning has long been of interest to planetary scientists, as it marks stormy spots where researchers can look to learn more about convection in Jupiter's atmosphere. Observing lightning from a distance can be tricky, so scientists have focused on the bolts that are easiest to study: strong flashes that strike at night. As a result, some studies have concluded that lightning bolts on Jupiter are all similar to the strongest lightning on Earth, known as "superbolts." This conclusion was recently questioned, however, when the high-sensitivity star tracker camera on NASA's Juno spacecraft detected faint, shallow lightning.

Originally published at Phys.org

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