Lightning - Extraterrestrial Lightning

Extraterrestrial Lightning

Lightning has been observed within the atmospheres of other planets, such as Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Lightning on Venus has been a controversial subject after decades of study. During the Soviet Venera and U.S. Pioneer missions of the 1970s and '80s, signals suggesting lightning may be present in the upper atmosphere were detected. Although the Cassini–Huygens mission fly-by of Venus in 1999 detected no signs of lightning, the observation window lasted mere hours. Radio pulses recorded by the spacecraft Venus Express (which began orbiting Venus in April 2006) have been confirmed to originate from lightning on Venus.