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Credit & Copyright: Elizabeth Warner
(U. Maryland)
Explanation:
Nobody knows what causes lightning.
It is known that
charges slowly separate in some
clouds causing rapid electrical discharges (lightning), but how
electrical charges get separated in
clouds remains a topic of much research.
Nevertheless,
lightning
bolts are common in clouds during rainstorms,
and on average 6000 lightning bolts occur between clouds
and the Earth every minute.
Above, several lightning strokes were photographed under a starry sky behind
Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson,
Arizona.
Lightning has also been found on the planets
Jupiter,
Saturn, and
Uranus.
NASA launched the
TRMM mission
in 1997 that continues to measure rainfall and
lightning
on planet Earth.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: lightning - Earth
Publications with words: lightning - Earth
See also: