NASA's Juno spacecraft, orbiting Jupiter since 2016, has once again captured a stunning image showcasing the gas giant's dynamic atmosphere.

This time, the JunoCam captured a fleeting, glowing green dot – the luminous aftermath of a powerful Jovian lightning strike.

The image, taken during a close flyby of Jupiter's swirling clouds, reveals a small, intensely bright green spot nestled amongst the planet's characteristic swirling bands of clouds.

Unlike the familiar flashes of lightning we see on Earth, which are typically white or yellow, Jupiter's lightning displays often exhibit a green hue.

This is believed to be due to the different atmospheric composition of Jupiter, which is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, with traces of other elements that influence the light's wavelength and color.

Scientists are particularly interested in studying Jovian lightning because it provides valuable insights into the planet's deep atmospheric processes.

The powerful bolts suggest vigorous convection and turbulence far below the visible cloud layers.

Analyzing the location, intensity, and frequency of these strikes helps researchers create a more comprehensive understanding of Jupiter's internal structure and dynamics.

The green glow itself is likely a result of the electrical discharge interacting with atmospheric constituents, though the exact mechanisms are still being investigated.

The image captured by JunoCam isn't just a beautiful snapshot; it's a piece of scientific data.

Researchers will meticulously analyze the data to learn more about the depth of the lightning strike, its energy, and the atmospheric conditions that contributed to its creation.

This latest observation further enhances the wealth of data Juno has collected, painting a more detailed picture of this colossal and fascinating planet.

The ongoing mission continues to reveal unexpected phenomena and provide crucial knowledge about the king of our solar system.

An image from Jupiter taken by NASA's shows a bright green dot on the planet's north pole. Turns out, the glowing orb is a lightning bolt,

While lightning on Earth often comes from water clouds near the equator, clouds containing an ammonia-water solution oftentimes cause lighting near Jupiter's poles, according to NASA. 

Juno on Jupiter in 2016 and orbited the planet 35 times, capturing images and data. The  by the spacecraft are made public by NASA for people to download and process. 

The image of the lightning strike was captured by Juno on December 30, 2020, when it was about 19,900 miles above Jupiter's cloud tops. It was processed by Kevin M. Gill, who NASA calls a "citizen scientist."

Lightning also occurs on other planets. In 1979, another spacecraft called Voyager 1 captured lightning flashes on Jupiter that were 10 times more powerful than lightning on Earth, . On Saturn, lightning can strike as much as 10 times per second.

Data from the Mars Global Surveyor didn't capture information on lightning, but there were bright flashes during dust storms and some scientists believe craters on Mars could be caused by lightning strikes.

Juno's initial mission was supposed to last five years but NASA has extended it until 2025. The space craft has captured information about Jupiter's interior structure, internal magnetic field, atmosphere, magnetosphere, the dust in its faint rings and and its Great Blue Spot, which is an intense magnetic field near the planet's equator. 

Juno is also flying by Jupiter's moons, which have donut-shaped clouds surrounding them, which the spacecraft will fly through. 

Earlier this year, it was announced that  by astronomers. The moons were seen on telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022. The planet now has a record 92 moons.