Showing posts with label lightning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lightning. Show all posts

Monday, October 23, 2023

Big Picture Science for Oct. 23, 2023 - Like Lightning









Big Picture Science - Like Lightning

REPEAT

Every second, lightning strikes 50 to 100 times somewhere. It can wreak havoc by starting wildfires and sometimes killing people. But lightning also produces a form of nitrogen that’s essential to vegetation. In this episode, we talk about the nature of these dramatic sparks. Ben Franklin established their electric origin, so what do we still not know? Also, why the frequency of lightning strikes is increasing in some parts of the world. And, what to do if you find someone hit by lightning.

Guests:

  • Thomas Yeadaker – Resident of Oakland, California
  • Chris Davis – Medical doctor and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University and Medical Director for the National Center for Outdoor Adventure Education
  • Jonathan Martin – Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Steve Ackerman – Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Peter Bieniek – Professor of Atmospheric and Space Science, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

This repeat podcast originally aired on September 12, 2022

Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/like-lightning

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Rare Form of "Space Lightning" Sighted over Oklahoma


Source - Space Weather News for May 26, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

SPACE LIGHTNING OVER OKLAHOMA: Earlier this week, an enormous cluster of sprites (a.k.a. "space lightning") appeared over a thunderstorm in Oklahoma.  The outbreak was so intense, it may have warped the ionosphere above it and sparked a rare "pop-through gigantic jet."  This type of display could become more common as summer thunderstorm season unfolds across the USA.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and more information.


















Image credits: Space Weather News and Thomas Ashcraft

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Space Lightning over Texas


Source - Space Weather News for April 28, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

"SPACE LIGHTNING" OVER TEXAS: Last night, a photographer in Texas captured a magnificent display of sprites dancing atop a powerful thunderstorm near Dallas. Sprites are an exotic form of lightning that shoot up from thunderstorms, reaching toward space. The Texas display shows that sprite season is now underway in the northern hemisphere.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and observing tips.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

ISS "Firestation" to Explore the Tops of Thunderstorms


Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 10, 2013

Sometimes, Earth mimics a supernova, producing a Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash from the tops of thunderstorms. A new lightning sensor on the International Space Station could solve the mystery of these energetic bursts.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/10sep_firestation/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNmUfcc_zBk



License: Standard YouTube License