The Mystery of Venus' Lightning: Is It Really Lightning?
A new study reanalyzing signals from Venus suggests that the famous lightning on the planet might not actually be lightning. Whistler waves, typically associated with lightning on Earth, were detected by NASA's Pioneer Venus and the Parker Solar Probe, but the waves were heading in the wrong direction, suggesting that lightning is not the primary cause. The researchers propose that magnetic reconnection, where magnetic field lines twist, snap, and join together again, might be responsible for the electrical signals. Further research and more detailed data are needed to confirm the existence and nature of Venusian lightning.
