Thunderstorms contain ‘dark lightning,’ invisible pulses of powerful radiation
A post written by Ivan Amato of Washington Post shares the fresh discovery of scientist regarding lightning. Scientists found out that sometimes lightning’ flashes are invisible. A lightning researcher at the Florida Institute of Technology, Joseph Dwyer, named this type of lightning ‘dark lightning’.
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Many lightning researchers and astronomers now know that together with visible thunderbolts, thunderstorms also emit sprays of X-rays and even strong bursts of gamma rays.
These invisible bolts can possess as much energy as the radiation brought by a visible lightning. However, their energy dissipates quickly in multiple directions rather than maintaining its stiletto-like lightning bolt.
Dwyer explains that compared to visible lightning, people inside the plane that are struck by dark lightning would not get hurt. However, Ivan Amato of Washington shares that according to Dwyer’s calculations:
they might receive in an instant the maximum safe lifetime dose of ionizing radiation — the kind that wreaks the most havoc on the human body.
Read more at: Thunderstorms contain ‘dark lightning,’ invisible pulses of powerful radiation | Washington Post
