The sky on fire: thunder and lightning
Summer, sun - thunderstorms: Extreme heat is often followed by a storm, as we can see in Germany at the moment. We take a look at the phenomena of thunder and lightning.
Short circuits in the sky
Like fiery veins flashing across the sky. Lightning flashes and cracks when energy is set free in a kind of short circuit: one lightning bolt can be as strong as 500 million volts. In Germany alone, there are more than two million flashes of lightning each year. But that’s no reason to panic: most of them don’t hit the ground, they just move from cloud to cloud.
Struck by lightning
The man in this photo won’t be struck by lightning because his metal suit works as a lightning deflector. The physical principle behind the suit is called the 'Faraday cage'. The dangerous electrical charge is deflected by the metal. That’s why planes and cars are good protection against lightning bolts.
Brought back down to earth
Lightning bolts always strike the highest point. That’s why there are hardly any churches or high-rise buildings without a lightning rod. The metal channels the lightning to the ground. The lightning rod was invented in 1752 by none other than Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers.
A destructive natural phenomenon
Lightning bolts caused 280 million euros worth of damage for German insurance companies in 2013. Most of the damage was not caused by direct lightning strikes but by electrical surges. This happens when lightning strikes nearby and then moves through the power supply network to electrical devices in homes. A word of advice: pull the plug on electrical devices before a thunderstorm.
The myth of ball lightning
This isn't actually ball lightning. But it really does exist! It hasn’t been pictured in nature yet, but the colored, ball-shaped light phenomenon isn't just a figment of the imagination. Scientists have proved its existence by creating artificial ball lightning.
Between fascination and fear
Some find it romantic outside when thunder rumbles and lighting cracks across the sky during summer. People have always been fascinated by the celestial spectacle. But if you’re breaking into a sweat just at the thought of thunderstorms, then you’re suffering from astraphobia. That’s the name given to the extreme anxiety of thunder and lightning.
Inspiration for artists
Artists like the 'Lords of Lightning' use the spectacular beauty of lightning bolts for their stage shows. The Land Art icon, Walter De Maria also uses the esthetics of lightning and the elemental force of storms: his 'Lightning Field' in New Mexico - a huge field filled with steel rods - turns into a living installation when it's struck by lightning.