J. Geophys. Res. 114, E09002 (2009)

Sprites — ghostly flashes of light that occur above some thunderstorms on Earth — may also illuminate other planets' atmospheres.

Calculations suggest that sprites could occur on both Venus and Jupiter, if thunderstorms on those planets build up the right amount of charge to trigger the flashes, say Yoav Yair of the Open University of Israel in Ra'anana and his colleagues. Neither Mars nor Saturn's moon Titan are likely to have sprites, though both have the right conditions for lightning.

Japan's Planet-C mission to Venus, due for launch next year, might be able to confirm the existence of the hypothetical sprites.