A NASA spacecraft captured a photo of Jupiter that is now leaving astronomers curious as there appears to be a strange green light coming from the planet.
The space agency shared in a press release that the photo, released last Thursday, was taken by its Juno mission while it completed its 31st close flyby of Jupiter on Dec. 30, 2020.
“At the time the raw image was taken, Juno was about 19,900 miles (32,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops,” the press release shared.
Scientists believe the glow was caused by a bolt of lightning near the planet’s north pole.
Lightning on Jupiter is much different from Earth, as it is caused by clouds containing ammonia-water solution and typically happens near the gas giant’s poles, NASA shared.
The Juno mission spacecraft began its five-year exploration of Jupiter in August 2011 and arrived at the planet in July 2016.
The mission has since been extended, and the spacecraft is expected to continue exploring the planet until September 2025 or whenever it shuts down.
NASA shared that in the coming months, the spacecraft will orbit closer to the planet, passing over Jupiter’s night side, giving it more opportunities for Juno to catch lightning in the act.
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