NASA knows the lightning bolts are there, though, because they emit electromagnetic energy across radio waves, which Cassini can detect.
One reason such storms intrigue scientists is the ongoing interest in locating liquid water on other planets.
"As far as we know, lightning demands liquid water—that's one of the appeals [of studying the storms]," Ingersoll said. "We actually don't know how much water is down there on Saturn or on any of the giant planets."
"Saturn [weather] seems to erupt very suddenly, and this storm is one of those dynamic eruptions," Ingersoll added.
"It's great to watch the Earth go through its paces, but [Earth weather] is pretty narrow compared to the variety you see elsewhere in the solar system."
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