[TowerTalk] Earth lighning is a wimp

[Jim Lux]

Bill Turner wrote:
> The recent "Universe" series on cable had a program about the outer
> planets. They stated that lightning strikes on Saturn or Jupiter (I
> forget which) can be a million times stronger than any on Earth.
> 
> I feel better now. :-)
> 
> Bill W6WRT

More like 10,000 times stronger... but still quite massive

"Since Jupiter has no true surface, the Jovian lightning flashes are 
cloud dischargaes. Observations suggest that Jovian lightning emits, on 
average, 10 to the 10 J of optical energy per flash, whereas on earth 
lightning radiates only about 10 to the 6th J per flash. Estimates of 
the average planetary lightning rate on Jupiter range from 0.003 per sq 
km per  yr to 40 per sq km per yr."
Title:	Planetary lightning - Earth, Jupiter, and Venus
Authors: Williams, M. A.; Krider, E. P.; Hunten, D. M.
Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics (ISSN 0034-6853), vol. 21, May 
1983, p. 892-902.


Photo of Jovian lightning:
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/captions/jupiter/light.htm