Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
Lightning on Earth
Explanation:
Nobody knows what causes lightning. It is known that charges [ http://physics.bu.e…] slowly separate in some clouds [ http://ww2010.atmos. uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides /mtr/cld/cldtyp/home .rxml ] causing rapid electrical discharges [ http://www.eng.tau.…] (lightning), but how electrical charges [ http://physicsstudi…] get separated in clouds [ http://www.geo.mtu.…] remains a topic of much research. Nevertheless, lightning [ http://wvlightning.…] bolts are common in clouds during rainstorms, and on average 6000 lightning bolts occur between clouds and the Earth every minute. Above [ http://www.noao.edu…], several lightning strokes were photographed behind Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu…] in Arizona [ http://www.state.az…]. Lightning [ http://bondo.wsc.ma…] has also been found on the planets Venus [ http://www.lpl.ariz…], Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], Saturn [ http://learn.jpl.na…], and Uranus [ http://www.spacetod…]. NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/] launched the TRMM mission [ http://trmm.gsfc.na…] in 1997 that continues to measure rainfall and lightning [ http://thunder.msfc…] on planet Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Credit and Copyright:
Adam Block [ mailto:ablock@noao.e du ] (KPNO [ http://www.noao.edu…]), AURA [ http://www.noao.edu…], NOAO [ http://www.noao.edu/], NSF [ http://www.nsf.gov/]
keyword:
Earth
keyword:
KPNO
keyword:
lightning
facet_when:
1997
facet_where:
Arizona
facet_where:
Saturn
facet_where:
Jupiter
facet_where:
Venus
facet_where:
Uranus
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where:
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Aura
facet_what:
Saturn
facet_what:
Jupiter
facet_what:
Venus
facet_what:
Uranus
facet_what:
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)
facet_when_year:
1997
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap000717
Image ID:
104519
Resolution Size:
3
Format:
JPEG
Media Type:
Image
File Name:
lightning_kpno.jpg
Width:
615
Height:
400

Lightning on Earth

Add To Workspace Download