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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Lightning and the Space Shuttle
Explanation: There are many things about lightning that are not understood. Lightning has been seen in the atmospheres of Venus , Earth , Jupiter , and Saturn . A leading theory is that collisions of particles in clouds cause large areas of positive and negative charge. When large oppositely charged areas get close enough together, electrons and/or ions race between them and create a path where more charged particles can follow - lightning. On average, over 100 lightning strikes occur every second over the surface of the Earth . Here lightning strikes near a Space Shuttle before launch . Lightning can be extremely dangerous - stay out of open areas during thunderstorms.
| Date | November 10, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |