New study explains the reason behind frequent lightnings on Venus planet

For many years, scientists have observed intriguing light displays on Venus, initially attributing them to lightning.
In fact, NASA even stated in 2007 that Venus might experience more lightning than Earth. However, a recent study challenges this conventional understanding, proposing that the enigmatic flashing lights on Venus are, in fact, meteors burning up in the planet's atmosphere.

This study, published in the 'Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets,' presents compelling evidence supporting this new perspective.

Researchers from Arizona State University conducted this groundbreaking study, by analyzing the flashes of light on Venus and unravelling their true nature. The team tallied the flashes observed at both the Steward Observatory and Japan's Akatsuki orbiter.
The study notes that the lightning on Venus is "either ubiquitous, rare, or non-existent, depending on how one interprets diverse observations."

According to the Plain Language Summary mentioned on the online library of Advancing Earth and Space Sciences, "In this study, we argue that these optical flashes were plausibly produced by meteor fireballs ∼100 km above the surface, not by lightning in the clouds. If so, then lightning poses no significant threat to balloon missions in the clouds of Venus."

Notably, Venus has sulfuric acid clouds instead of water vapor, which traditionally contribute to lightning on Earth. Given this difference, scientists argued that the frequent flashes on Venus may not be lightning after all, further fueling the possibility that they result from meteors.

This discovery holds significance not only in understanding Venus's atmospheric phenomena but also in planning future space missions. It suggests that probes descending rapidly through Venus's atmosphere might be safe, challenging previous concerns about navigating through a lightning-laden environment.

To study Venus better, NASA plans to send the DAVINCI probe to study Venus' clouds and geology. According to NASA's website, “DAVINCI is tentatively scheduled to launch in June 2029 and enter the Venusian atmosphere in June 2031.”