For as long as people have watched storms roll across the sky, lightning has inspired awe and fear. You can see the flash and ...

Lightning discharges represent one of nature’s most dramatic electrical phenomena, providing a dynamic window into the complex interplay between atmospheric electrical fields and discharge processes.

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Cosmic rays may play a role in triggering lightning on Earth, a new study suggests. | Credit: Jan ...

A person struck directly by lightning becomes a part of the main lightning discharge channel. Most often, direct strikes occur to victims who are in open areas. Direct strikes are not as common as the ...

Scientists have observed an intense burst of radiation with the collision of two lightning paths. A study led by The University of Osaka observed the incident using a multi-sensor. Known as a ...

Engineers across many disciplines are aware of and concerned with lightning—and for good reasons. A lightning strike can cause significant structural damage, house and forest fires, and severe ...

What happens right before two arcs of lightning smash into each other? An invisible blast of radiation a million times more energetic than a lightning discharge is unleashed in the form of gamma rays, ...

The powerful megaflash extended from eastern Texas to Kansas City in Missouri Brian Anthony Hernandez, who has nearly 20 years of journalism experience, joined PEOPLE as a writer-editor in 2023. Brian ...

Lightning sits at the boundary between routine weather and sudden hazard. It appears briefly, illuminates a landscape, and ...

A thunderstorm with cloud to ground lightning rages during the day in China on July 21, 2025. CREDIT: Photo by Liu Wei/Xinhua via Getty Images. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs ...

Lightning strikes are always a serious threat, no matter what season it is. For the last year, lightning strikes in the U.S.

Volcanic lightning is a striking and multifaceted phenomenon that occurs during explosive eruptions, when vigorous interactions between fragmented ash particles, volcanic gases and environmental ...