Read more: “Strange skies: Seven wonders of the atmosphere“ Lightning is almost as puzzling to modern science as it was to our awestruck ancestors. Although we might now be ...

A group of scientists say they successfully steered bolts of lightning using laser technology during a storm in Switzerland, demonstrating a potential new method to protect infrastructure from ligh… ...

The airplane is capable of flying at about 60,000 feet, an ideal altitude for flying in the proximity of thunderclouds. While airborne, the plane was fitted with instruments mounted on the ...

Scientists have discovered a connection between lightning strikes and two kinds of gamma-ray phenomena in thunderclouds. The research suggests that in certain conditions, weak gamma-ray glows from ...

Radio waves emitted by particles zipping through thunderstorms allow physicists to probe thunderclouds and, perhaps eventually, learn what triggers lightning strikes.

Lightning electrifies the sky about 100 times per second in various locations around the world, yet the electric fields within thunderclouds seem to have only about a tenth of the strength ...

As well as producing spectacular lightning shows, thunderclouds can also sometimes emit strange long-lasting bursts of gamma rays. Now, a group of researchers in Japan claims to have the best evidence ...

Of course, lightning does occur inside thunderclouds, so clearly we must be missing something about how lightning gets started. Several ideas have been suggested, ...

Positive lightning strikes carry a peak current, around 100 kA. Negative charges are around 20 kA. Positive charges come from the higher parts of thunderclouds leading to a longer path and greater ...

The duo created a model that describes the unusual propagation of “lightning leaders” – channels of ionized air – that connect thunderclouds to the ground. They propose that the zig-zag steps are ...

Exhibit A: This photo of a projection of “blue lightning” out into space from the thunderclouds above the small Pacific island Nauru in February 2019.