Lightning

Latest about lightning

An artist's illustration of a kite with a key being struck by lightning

Did Benjamin Franklin really discover electricity with a kite and key?

By Jacklin Kwan published

Here's what historians have to say about whether Benjamin Franklin really flew a kite tied to a key during a lightning storm.

Human Behavior
What would happen if the speed of sound was as fast as the speed of light?

What if the speed of sound were as fast as the speed of light?

By Isobel Whitcomb published

The speed of light moves 1 million times faster than the speed of sound. What would happen if the speed of sound sped up to match it?

Physics & Mathematics
mars dust storm

7 solar system worlds where the weather is crazy

By Jonathan O'Callaghan, Daisy Dobrijevic, How It Works magazine published

What's the weather like on other worlds? Expect methane rain, global haboobs and a 10,000-mile-wide hurricane.

Astronomy
An artist's rendition of the early Earth environment. Lightning generated by storms and volcanic plumes frequently strikes volcanic rocks. The lightning strikes create fulgurites which contain phosphorus in a form that can be dissolved in water and concentrate in waters like volcanic ponds. Here, the phosphorus is able to form biomolecules which help lead to the emergence of life.

Billions of lightning bolts may have jump-started life on Earth, study suggests

By Brandon Specktor published

Lightning storms on early Earth may have given the planet enough phosphorus to craft the first DNA and RNA molecules, study suggests

Weather
This otherworldly image, captured by a camera on a telescope at Maunakea, shows two lightning phenomenon: a red sprite and a blue jet.

Rare red sprite and blue jet create otherworldly light show above Hawaii

By Stephanie Pappas published

A camera at an observatory in Hawaii captured a red sprite and a blue jet in the same frame.

Planet Earth
Caught on high-speed video, lightning streamers of opposite polarity approach and connect in this sequence of video frames, slowed by more than 10,000-fold. The common streamer zone appears in the last two frames before the whiteout of the lightning flash. This lasted about 0.00003 seconds at full speed

Video catches split second before intense lightning strike

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists captured high-speed footage of the moment before lightning strikes.

Weather
An illustration of a blue jet observed from the ISS

Upward-shooting 'blue jet' lightning spotted from International Space Station

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The phenomenon can be difficult to observe from the ground below.

Space Exploration
So-called superbolts are at least 100 times brighter than ordinary lighting, but can be more than 1,000 times brighter.

'Superbolts' are real, and they flash up to 1,000 times brighter than regular lightning

By Mindy Weisberger published

Scientists recently calculated the power of so-called superbolts — brighter-than-average lightning strikes.

Weather
Giraffes' exceptional height may increase their vulnerability to lightning.

Lightning killed 2 giraffes in South Africa: Were they doomed by their height?

By Mindy Weisberger published

After two dead giraffes were discovered in a South African nature reserve, scientists determined that the animals had been struck by lightning.

Giraffes
lightning striking Earth

The electric hum of life may have originated with primordial lightning

By Mara Johnson-Groh published

A low-frequency hum in our cells syncs may have synced with ancient sky bolts.

Evolution
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives