Lightning is one of nature’s most incredible phenomena. It’s beautiful, powerful and sometimes a little scary. Here are 10 amazing facts about lightning that will spark your curiosity!

1. Lightning is a giant spark!

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere.

It happens when charged particles in clouds build up, creating an electric current that travels between the clouds or from the clouds to the ground.

2. Lightning is hot!

A lightning bolt can reach temperatures of 30,000°C, that’s five times hotter than the surface of the Sun!

The heat is so intense it can turn sand into glass when it strikes.

3. Thunder and lightning always go together.

Thunder is the sound caused by the rapid expansion of air heated by a lightning strike.

Since light travels faster than sound, we see lightning before we hear the thunder.

Fun fact: You can estimate how far a storm is by counting the seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder clap. Every 5 seconds equals roughly 1 mile!

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4. Lightning strikes the Earth a lot.

Lightning strikes Earth about 8 million times a day, or about 100 times every second.

Most lightning strikes occur in tropical areas, especially around the equator.

5. The most lightning-prone place on Earth.

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela holds the record for the most lightning strikes.

Known as the “Catatumbo Lightning”, this region can experience storms with lightning flashes up to 280 nights a year!

6. Lightning comes in different colours.

The colour of lightning depends on the atmosphere and the particles in the air. For example:

• Blue lightning occurs in areas with high humidity.
• Yellow lightning can happen when dust is present.
• Red lightning, or “sprites,” happens high above thunderstorms and is rarely seen.

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7. Lightning can do amazing things!

When lightning strikes sand, the intense heat can fuse it into a glass-like structure called fulgurite, which looks like a natural sculpture.

These rare formations are sometimes called “fossilised lightning”.

8. Lightning strikes more than just the ground.

Most lightning never hits the Earth, it happens between clouds.

Cloud-to-ground lightning is actually less common, but it’s the type we notice most because it’s the loudest and brightest.

9. There’s something called “ball lightning.”

Ball lightning is a rare phenomenon where lightning forms a glowing orb that floats in the air for a few seconds before disappearing.

Scientists still don’t fully understand how it works but it’s definitely one of the strangest lightning events!

10. Lightning has been around for billions of years.

Lightning has likely existed since Earth first had an atmosphere, over 4 billion years ago.

Some scientists even believe lightning may have helped spark life on Earth by triggering chemical reactions that created the first organic molecules.

Lightning is as fascinating as it is powerful! It’s a reminder of nature’s incredible forces and the beauty of the world around us.