Thunderstorms Make Trees Glow
Scientists have long hypothesized that the high electrical charge of thunderstorms could produce an opposite charge in the ground that would discharge from the forest canopy. But this phenomenon, known as a corona, had never been observed on actual trees. (Image credit: W. Brune; research credit: P. McFarland et al.; via SciAm)
Red sprites are massive, faint flashes of red or orange light that appear high above powerful thunderstorms.
Also known as transient luminous events (TLEs), they occur in the upper atmosphere (50 to 90 km high) and are triggered by intense cloud-to-ground lightning.
Source: x.com
