Jupiter's Lightning Strikes Measured at 100 Times Earth's Power in New Study

On March 20, a study in AGU Advances revealed that Jupiter's lightning packs a punch—its energy is 100 times stronger than what we see on Earth. Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft suggests some lightning strikes could be up to 10,000 times more powerful. Led by Michael Wong from UC Berkeley, researchers examined 613 lightning pulses from storms in Jupiter's northern hemisphere during 2021 and 2022. Juno picked up radio waves from four storms, which averaged about three strikes per second. Unlike past missions that only recorded the brightest flashes on the dark side, this research, aided by the Hubble Space Telescope and citizen scientists, pinpointed storm locations. Jupiter’s hydrogen-rich atmosphere requires more energy for storms, which could spark chemical reactions relevant to finding alien life. Daniel Mitchard, a lightning physicist, noted that the stronger lightning fosters more complex chemistry. Also, a different study in February revised Jupiter's size slightly downward using Juno's findings.