Saturn's Lightning-1 Million Times Stronger Than Earth's

[Angie Norris]

Saul, thanks bunches!! That will make for some nice break reading 8)
Angie

 

[mikegeukes]

Some links to some stuff, do not know how helpful there are Angie

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/plan...et_saturn.shtml
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/astro/planet.htm
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2004-193
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/...main/index.html
http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/links/space.html

Also quite a few universities have astronomy depts and planetary sciences depts, to many to list.

Mike

 

[Angie Norris]

:shock: Wow, Mike, thanks!!!! That will definitely keep me out of trouble over break!! 8)
Angie

 

[Khristian Snyder]

wow...i breifly skimmed over one of your writings. Keep up the good work Saul.

KS_

 

[Bill Schintler]

Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument (RPWS)

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/decembe...704gurnett.html

As an engineer working under Dr. Gurnett at the University Of Iowa,
I designed the electronics package in the Cassini Radio and Plasma
Wave Science (RPWS) instrument that processes the signals from the
spacecraft antennas. The package has three main functions: 1) It
decomposes signals into their individual frequencies (spectrum
analysis), 2) processes "time domain" data, most effective for
analyzing transient signals such as lightning, and 3) Sends data to
on-board processor (computer) where signal processing algorithms
detect certain signal signatures (such as lightning). These data
are placed in a telemetry stream and broadcasted back to the earth
via an RF link.

- bill

 

[Saul Trabal]

Re: Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument (RPWS)

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/december/121704gurnett.html

As an engineer working under Dr. Gurnett at the University Of Iowa,
I designed the electronics package in the Cassini Radio and Plasma
Wave Science (RPWS) instrument that processes the signals from the
spacecraft antennas. The package has three main functions: 1) It
decomposes signals into their individual frequencies (spectrum
analysis), 2) processes "time domain" data, most effective for
analyzing transient signals such as lightning, and 3) Sends data to
on-board processor (computer) where signal processing algorithms
detect certain signal signatures (such as lightning). These data
are placed in a telemetry stream and broadcasted back to the earth
via an RF link.

- bill

First of all, I want to thank you and your colleagues for the wonderful work you've done with Cassini. It's been an enjoyable experience sharing these exciting discoveries with you.

I have a question-and I wonder if you could answer this. Galileo took pictures of lightning on Jupiter's night side. Do you have any idea if Cassini will do the same at Saturn? Given how much more powerful lightning is on Saturn, I imagine that lightning flashes viewed on the night side will be even more brilliant.

8)

 

[Saul Trabal]

wow...i breifly skimmed over one of your writings. Keep up the good work Saul.

KS_

Thanks! Glad you liked my work.

8)

 

[Rockwell Schrock]

I sense a new futuristic trend in storm chasing... just attach your anemometer to your family rocket and you're off chasing across the solar system.

I can see that the NWS might have trouble putting NEXRAD domes on Jupiter, with all that gravity and high winds and extreme temperatures and such.

 

[Bill Schintler]

Re: Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument (RPWS)

Originally posted by Saul Trabal
I have a question-and I wonder if you could answer this. Galileo took pictures of lightning on Jupiter's night side. Do you have any idea if Cassini will do the same at Saturn? Given how much more powerful lightning is on Saturn, I imagine that lightning flashes viewed on the night side will be even more brilliant. 8)

I was involved with the Cassini RPWS instrument design and construction prior to launch; therefore, I'm no longer involved with the mission. To answer your question to the best of my ability, I know that the Cassini imager (the instrument that takes photographs – as opposed the RPWS instrument I was involved with at the University of Iowa that receives and processes naturally occurring radio waves) has taken several images of storms (in the IR, near IR, and visible spectrums). Although I'm not certain of this fact, I do believe that the Cassini imager has taken pictures of lightning on Saturn – and if so, it has not received nearly as much attention in mainstream news media as the Galileo photos of lightning on Jupiter.

Cassini Imaging Team:
http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/

Photo of storm on Saturn:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/...a/pia06507.html

Detecting lighting via radio waves - this was one of the purposes of the RPWS instrument:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/...a/pia06414.html

"Spectrogram" showing received radio waves from lightning - frequency is on the vertical axis, and time is on the horizontal.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/...a/pia06417.html

bill

 

[Saul Trabal]

Re: Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science Instrument (RPWS)

Originally posted by Bill Schintler
Although I'm not certain of this fact, I do believe that the Cassini imager has taken pictures of lightning on Saturn – and if so, it has not received nearly as much attention in mainstream news media as the Galileo photos of lightning on Jupiter.

I know that I was EXTREMELY frustrated when I was trying to find out the strength of Jupiter's lightning. I kept reading conflicting information in recent books, which had Jupiter's lightning at 10 times to 10,000 times more powerful than Earth's. It took an email to the folks involved with Galileo to get the straight answer: 1,000 times more powerful than Earth's lightning.

The photos I've seen of Jupiter's lightning are amazing. But given that Saturn's lightning is perhaps the most powerful in the solar system, the light show must be incredible. Even if the lightning is occuring fairly deep, I'd imagine that can be seen; it's just a question of being in the right place at the right time. If there are such pictures, I'm DYING to see them!!

Thanks so much for the links!