Lightning is visible through a silhouette of trees Click on
image for full size Image Courtesy of University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research/Carlye Calvin Thunder and Lightning
Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. In
fact it is how thunderstorms got their name. Wait a minute, what
does thunder have to do with lightning? Well, lightning causes
thunder. Lightning is a giant spark. A single stroke of
lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000 degrees Celsius
(54,000 degrees Fahrenheit)! This extreme heating causes the air
to expand at an explosive rate. The expansion creates a shock
wave that turns into a booming sound wave, better known as
thunder. This explains why it has the name thunderstorm. Thunder
and lightning occur at roughly the same time, although you see
the flash of lightning before you hear the thunder. This is
because light travels much faster than sound. Shop Windows to
the Universe Science Store! The Fall 2009 issue of The Earth
Scientist , which includes article