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Images of Lightning Unfolding, Frame by Frame
published
Lightning, downward leader forms
(Image credit: Weitao Lu, Luwen Chen, Ying Ma, V.A. Rakov, Yan Gao, Yang Zhang, Qiyuan Yin, and Yijun Zhang.)
Upward leader sprouts from building
(Image credit: Weitao Lu, Luwen Chen, Ying Ma, V.A. Rakov, Yan Gao, Yang Zhang, Qiyuan Yin, and Yijun Zhang.)
The downward leader grows as an upward connecting leader sprouts from the tallest building in the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong, China.
Both leaders grow
(Image credit: Weitao Lu, Luwen Chen, Ying Ma, V.A. Rakov, Yan Gao, Yang Zhang, Qiyuan Yin, and Yijun Zhang)
The leaders rapidly grow toward each other.
Leaders about to touch
(Image credit: Weitao Lu, Luwen Chen, Ying Ma, V.A. Rakov, Yan Gao, Yang Zhang, Qiyuan Yin, and Yijun Zhang)
The leaders are about to touch and then...
Bam!
(Image credit: Weitao Lu, Luwen Chen, Ying Ma, V.A. Rakov, Yan Gao, Yang Zhang, Qiyuan Yin, and Yijun Zhang)
Bam! They two leaders connect in what is known as a lightning stroke.
