Lightning storms on our planet can dislodge particularly high-energy, or "extra-hot" electrons from the inner radiation belt - a region of space enveloped by charged particles that surround Earth like an inner tube.
A powerful laser was able to deflect a lightning bolt almost 200 feet before it hit a lightning rod, greatly improving the rod's function.
A lightning bolt has produced a fascinating type of phosphorus material - a close match for calcium phosphite (CaHPO3). We have never seen this material occur naturally on Earth – minerals similar to it can be found in meteorites and space.
Scientists have found that lightning bolts and, surprisingly, subvisible discharges that cannot be seen by cameras or the naked eye lead chemical reactions breaks down molecules like the greenhouse gas methane.
Lightning strikes were just as important as meteorites in creating the perfect conditions for life to emerge on Earth, according to new research. This shows that life could develop on Earth-like planets through the same mechanism.
