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.
For a study published in AGU Advances, Michael Wong and colleagues took a closer look, focusing on a period in 2021 and 2022 when lightning in Jupiter’s North Equatorial Belt was highly localized within powerful, isolated storms the researchers labeled “stealth superstorms.” This unusual meteorology allowed researchers to pinpoint the location of lightning more accurately.
Instead of looking only at visible light, the scientists used data from the Microwave Radiometer instrument and the Waves experiment—radio wave detectors carried by Juno, which has been orbiting Jupiter for the past 10 years. Radio waves are just one form of electromagnetic radiation produced by lightning, but they’re an especially informative form because scientists can study them even when clouds or other components of the atmosphere block visual cues. The approach allowed the researchers to look beyond the strong nocturnal bolts other researchers have focused on.
