University of Iowa scientists monitoring marathon storm on Saturn; Lightning 10,000 times stronger than earth’s

From Science Daily:

As a powerful electrical storm rages on Saturn with lightning bolts 10,000 times more powerful than those found on Earth, the Cassini spacecraft continues its five-month watch over the dramatic events. ..."The electrostatic radio outbursts have waxed and waned in intensity for five months now," said Georg Fischer, an associate with the radio and plasma wave science team at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "We saw similar storms in 2004 and 2006 that each lasted for nearly a month, but this storm is longer-lived by far. And it appeared after nearly two years during which we did not detect any electrical storm activity from Saturn." ...

"The electrostatic radio outbursts have waxed and waned in intensity for five months now," said Georg Fischer, an associate with the radio and plasma wave science team at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "We saw similar storms in 2004 and 2006 that each lasted for nearly a month, but this storm is longer-lived by far. And it appeared after nearly two years during which we did not detect any electrical storm activity from Saturn." ...

Related article from February 15, 2006 Gazette archives:

Researchers at UI investigate Saturn stormUniversity of Iowa researchers are studying an electrical storm on Saturn that is said to be the strongest of its kind observed.The storm, larger than the continental United States, has lightning bolts more than 1,000 times stronger than conventional lightning.UI professor Donald Gurnett, principal investigator for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science investigation on the Cassini space mission, has been tracking the storm since Jan. 23 with UI researchers William Kurth and Georg Fischer.Gurnett said the lightning flash rate exceeds the rate observed by Voyager 1 in 1980 and the intensities are at least as large, if not larger.Cassini, launched Oct. 15, 1997, entered Saturn's orbit July 1, 2004.The UI developed much of the flight hardware and software for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science antennas, one of the major scientific instruments aboard Cassini.

University of Iowa researchers are studying an electrical storm on Saturn that is said to be the strongest of its kind observed.

The storm, larger than the continental United States, has lightning bolts more than 1,000 times stronger than conventional lightning.

UI professor Donald Gurnett, principal investigator for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science investigation on the Cassini space mission, has been tracking the storm since Jan. 23 with UI researchers William Kurth and Georg Fischer.

Gurnett said the lightning flash rate exceeds the rate observed by Voyager 1 in 1980 and the intensities are at least as large, if not larger.

Cassini, launched Oct. 15, 1997, entered Saturn's orbit July 1, 2004.

The UI developed much of the flight hardware and software for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science antennas, one of the major scientific instruments aboard Cassini.

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