Number 50 (Story #2), October 3, 1991 by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein LIGHTNING ON VENUS may have been observed in a recent flyby by the Galileo spacecraft. Because of the qualities connected with Venus's thick atmosphere, most planetary scientists never considered Venus a prime candidate for lightning. However, Galileo's detection of 6 lightning-like bursts of electrical energy have jolted investigators to search for explanations. One possibility is that lightning on Venus may arise from volcanoes, specifically from particles rubbing against each other in the flows of hot rock rising to the surface. Such volcanic plumes have been known to cause lightning on Earth. Indeed the Magellan spacecraft has detected (and continues to look for) signs of volcanic ash on Venus, although active volcanoes are believed to be rare on the planet. (Science, 27 Sept. 1991.)