Updated: 28 June 2025 la 12:51. Articolul a fost revizuit pentru a reflecta informațiile disponibile la această dată.
Lightning is among nature’s most spectacular phenomena. We often see it during storms, but few people realise just how fascinating it really is. Did you know that a lightning bolt can reach a temperature of more than 30,000°C? That means it is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun, which reaches “only” around 5,500°C!
More astonishing facts about lightning
- A lightning bolt can be up to 8 kilometres long, and sometimes even longer.
- On average, more than 100 lightning strikes occur on Earth every second.
- Brazil holds the world record for the longest lightning bolt recorded: almost 770 kilometres, in 2018.
- A person can be struck by lightning and still survive—Roy Sullivan, an American park ranger, was struck seven times and lived to tell the tale.
- Lightning can “sing”! It sometimes produces high-pitched sounds known as electromagnetic tones, which can be detected using specialised equipment.
What happens when lightning strikes the ground?
When lightning strikes sand or soil rich in silica, it can create fulgurites—extremely fragile natural glass structures that resemble petrified roots. They are rare and highly valued by collectors.
Conclusion
Lightning is not only spectacular but also full of mystery. Did you know that many cultures in the past believed it was a divine sign? Today, science helps us understand it, but does not make it any less impressive.
To complement the information above, you can also read Fascinating Facts from Science, Nature and History, an article that explores an aspect directly related to this subject.
