Astronomers have been watching Venus’ epic light shows for years, but they were never 100% about just what they are. The leading theory was, just like on Earth, they are lightning storms with NASA even announcing the second planet from the Sun had more electrical storms than our planet. However, a new study challenges that theory, suggesting that it might be something else entirely.
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00:00 [Music]
00:03 Astronomers have been watching Venus's epic light shows for years,
00:07 but they were never 100% sure about what they are.
00:10 The leading theory was just like on Earth, they're lightning storms.
00:13 With NASA even announcing the second planet from the sun has more electrical storms than our own planet.
00:18 However, a new study challenges that theory, suggesting that it might be something else entirely.
00:23 Lightning is often actually detected by the radio waves it produces,
00:27 but the Cassini and Parker solar probes attempted to collect radio wave data from Venus as they passed it.
00:32 There's just one problem, despite the ubiquity of the lightning,
00:35 they couldn't detect any sign of it via radio waves.
00:37 Which is why researchers from Arizona State University decided to actually count the number of flashes
00:42 and extrapolate that data into an annual number.
00:45 They found an estimated 10,000 to 100,000 flashes every year.
00:49 And that just so happens to be the same estimation of the number of likely meteor strikes on the planet annually as well.
00:55 Meaning those flashes could actually be tiny rocks burning up in Venus's atmosphere.
00:59 Scientists have long wondered how lightning might form on Venus,
01:02 as much of its atmosphere is made of sulfuric acid rather than water vapor.
01:06 This new data could be good news for future missions as well,
01:09 as experts say lightning strikes could pose a threat to mission-critical tech.
01:13 [Music]