Juno Captures Spectacular Lightning Bolt on Jupiter’s North Pole

Jupiter has set a new record after astronomers discovered 12 new moons in its atmosphere, bringing the planet’s total moon count to 92. The discovery was made earlier this year by telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022. The announcement was made by NASA, which has been studying Jupiter through its Juno mission since 2016.

The Juno spacecraft has orbited Jupiter 35 times, capturing images and data about the planet’s interior structure, internal magnetic field, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and more. The images taken by Juno are made public by NASA for people to download and process. One of the images captured by Juno’s JunoCam shows a bright green dot on Jupiter’s north pole, which NASA has identified as a lightning bolt. Lightning on Jupiter is caused by clouds containing an ammonia-water solution near the planet’s poles, unlike on Earth where it often comes from water clouds near the equator.

Lightning has also been observed on other planets. In 1979, the Voyager 1 spacecraft captured lightning flashes on Jupiter that were 10 times more powerful than lightning on Earth. On Saturn, lightning can strike as much as 10 times per second. While data from the Mars Global Surveyor did not capture information on lightning, bright flashes during dust storms have been observed, leading some scientists to believe that lightning strikes could be responsible for craters on Mars.

Juno’s initial mission was supposed to last five years, but NASA has extended it until 2025 due to its success in capturing valuable information about Jupiter. In addition to studying the planet itself, Juno is also flying by Jupiter’s moons, which have donut-shaped clouds surrounding them. The spacecraft will fly through these clouds to gather more data.

The discovery of the 12 new moons adds to Jupiter’s already impressive moon count and further expands our understanding of the planet’s complex system. With ongoing missions like Juno, scientists hope to continue unraveling the mysteries of Jupiter and its moons, providing valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system.

saturn moon count

Jupiter’s moon count has reached a new record with the recent discovery of 12 additional moons in its atmosphere. This brings the total number of moons orbiting the planet to 92, a remarkable achievement for astronomers. The discovery was made in 2021 and 2022 by telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile, and the announcement was made by NASA, which has been closely studying Jupiter through its Juno mission since 2016.

The Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter for 35 times, providing us with invaluable images and data about the planet’s interior structure, atmospheric conditions, magnetosphere, and more. These images, captured by Juno’s JunoCam, are made available to the public by NASA for download and processing. One striking image shows a bright green dot on Jupiter’s north pole, which has been identified as a lightning bolt by NASA. Unlike on Earth, where lightning often originates from water clouds near the equator, lightning on Jupiter is caused by clouds containing an ammonia-water solution near its poles.

While lightning is a natural phenomenon witnessed on multiple planets, Jupiter stands out. In 1979, the Voyager 1 spacecraft captured lightning flashes on Jupiter that were ten times more powerful than those seen on Earth. Saturn, on the other hand, experiences lightning strikes up to ten times per second. Even on Mars, although data from the Mars Global Surveyor did not capture specific information related to lightning, bright flashes during dust storms have been observed, leading scientists to speculate that lightning strikes could be responsible for the formation of craters on the Red Planet.

Originally planned for a five-year mission, Juno’s success in providing valuable information about Jupiter has led NASA to extend its mission until 2025. The spacecraft not only studies the planet itself but also conducts flybys of Jupiter’s moons, which are surrounded by donut-shaped clouds. Juno navigates through these clouds, collecting additional data to enhance our comprehension of Jupiter’s complex system.

This recent discovery of 12 new moons contributes to our expanding knowledge of Jupiter and its intricate system. Continual missions like Juno offer hope to scientists, as they strive to unravel the mysteries of Jupiter and its moons. Through these endeavors, we gain valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system.