Tree tops sparkle with electricity during thunderstorms

Thunderstorms may bring more than rain and gloom. The same forces that cause thunder and lightning also make treetops sparkle in ultraviolet light, like a Christmas tree topper invisible to the human eye.

For almost a century, scientists have discussed a phenomenon called Saint Elmo’s fire, where electrical discharges elicit a bluish glow from pointy objects such as ship masts during thunderstorms. More recently, researchers have wondered if thunderstorms might draw weak electrical discharges from the treetops. These discharges have been detected in the lab, and now, they’ve been spotted in nature.

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