NASA’s JunoCam, a camera aboard the Juno spacecraft, has captured a fascinating image of a vibrant green dot on Jupiter’s north pole, which has been identified as a lightning bolt by NASA.

Unlike lightning on Earth that often originates from water clouds near the equator, Jupiter’s lightning is believed to be caused by clouds containing an ammonia-water solution near its poles, according to NASA.

Since its launch in 2016, Juno has completed 35 orbits around Jupiter, collecting valuable images and data. NASA releases these images to the public, allowing individuals to download and process them, CBS News reports.

The particular image of the lightning strike was taken by Juno on December 30, 2020, when the spacecraft was approximately 19,900 miles above Jupiter’s cloud tops.

It was processed by Kevin M. Gill, a “citizen scientist” recognized by NASA for his contributions.

Written by staff