Images: Lightning strikes--on Venus

The Venus Express mission has confirmed that Venus--with its heavy atmospheric pressure and scalding temperatures--is not a place you'd want to vacation. Now, lightning has been discovered for the first time, making Venus just the fourth body in the universe known to produce it--after Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The European Space Agency released findings from the Venus Express about the Venusian atmosphere as it's wrapping up its primary mission to study the second rock from the sun. Secondary studies of the planet have been extended for two more Venusian days. That's longer than you might think, as one day on Venus is about 117 Earth days long.

Photo by ESA