08.06.20
‘Shallow Lightning’ on Jupiter (NASA Visualization, ft. Music by Vangelis)
The visualization was created by combining an image of high-altitude clouds from JunoCam with computer-generated animation. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill
This animation takes the rider on a simulated journey into one of Jupiter’s exotic high-altitude electrical storms.
Navigating through Jupiter’s violent, towering thunderstorms, we dodge the spray of ammonia-water rain and shallow lightning flashes.
At these altitudes, which are too cold for pure liquid water to exist, ammonia gas acts like an antifreeze: It melts the water-ice crystals flung up to these heights by Jupiter’s powerful storms, creating unexpected ammonia-water clouds that can electrify the sky.