Observations and models suggest that the conditions to develop lightning may be present in cloud-forming extrasolar planetary and brown dwarf atmospheres. Whether lightning on these objects is similar to or very different from what is known from the Solar System awaits answering as lightning from extrasolar objects has not been detected yet. We explore terrestrial lightning parameterisations to compare the energy radiated and the total radio power emitted from lightning discharges for Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, extrasolar giant gas planets and brown dwarfs. We find that lightning on hot, giant gas planets and brown dwarfs may have energies of the order of 10¹¹–10¹⁷ ​J, which is two to eight orders of magnitude larger than the average total energy of Earth lightning (10⁹ ​J), and up to five orders of magnitude more energetic than lightning on Jupiter or Saturn (10¹² ​J), affirming the stark difference between these atmospheres. Lightning on exoplanets and brown dwarfs may be more energetic and release more radio power than what has been observed from the Solar System. Such energies would increase the probability of detecting lightning-related radio emission from an extrasolar body.

观测和模型表明，在形成云的太阳系外行星和棕矮星大气中可能存在形成闪电的条件。这些物体上的闪电是与太阳系已知的闪电相似还是非常不同有待回答，因为尚未探测到来自太阳系外物体的闪电。我们探索陆地闪电参数化，以比较地球、木星、土星、太阳系外巨型气体行星和棕矮星的闪电放电所辐射的能量和总无线电功率。我们发现炽热的巨大气体行星和褐矮星上的闪电可能具有 10 ¹¹ –10 ¹⁷  J 的能量，这比地球闪电的平均总能量 (10 ⁹ J），并且比木星或土星上的闪电高五个数量级（10 ¹²  J），证实了这些大气之间的明显差异。系外行星和褐矮星上的闪电可能比从太阳系观察到的更有活力，并释放出更多的无线电能。这种能量会增加探测到来自太阳系外天体的闪电相关无线电辐射的可能性。