The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spacecraft Juno captured a stunning image of lightning on Jupiter during its 31st close flyby of the gas giant.
As a report published on the Teche Blog website explains, lightning generally originates from water clouds on Earth and occurs most frequently near the equator, while those on Jupiter occur in clouds containing a solution of ammonia and water.
The original image was taken on December 30, 2020, but in 2022, scientist Kevin M. Gill processed the raw data from the JunoCam instrument aboard the spacecraft.
Juno was approximately 19,900 miles above the clouds of Jupiter, at a latitude of approximately 78°, when this photo was taken.
Juno is a space probe dedicated to the study of the planet Jupiter. This probe is part of NASA's New Frontiers space program and is designed to study the planet's atmosphere, its origin, structure and evolution within the Solar System, and thus better understand its formation.
