The single whistler event was recorded over a crustal magnetic field, at an altitude of 349 kilometers (217 miles) on the night side of Mars. This last part is crucial: When under the direct glare of ...

A lonely rover toiling among the sands of Mars has now answered an age-old question: If lightning crackles on the red planet and no one hears it, does it still make a sound? Crucially, the dusty ...

An electric weather phenomenon just broke a world record. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on July 31 that a megaflash has set a new world record for lightning discharge distance.

Talk about a bolt from the blue. Scientists July 31 announced the discovery of the world's longest lightning flash ever detected – a whopping 515-mile-long bolt that blasted across central U.S. skies ...

In a recent milestone confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a truly gargantuan lightning flash has claimed the title of longest ever recorded. Scientists measured it at an ...

Volcanic lightning is a striking and multifaceted phenomenon that occurs during explosive eruptions, when vigorous interactions between fragmented ash particles, volcanic gases and environmental ...

Engineers across many disciplines are aware of and concerned with lightning—and for good reasons. A lightning strike can cause significant structural damage, house and forest fires, and severe ...

A thunderstorm with cloud to ground lightning rages during the day in China on July 21, 2025. CREDIT: Photo by Liu Wei/Xinhua via Getty Images. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs ...

The powerful megaflash extended from eastern Texas to Kansas City in Missouri The World Meteorological Organization confirmed a new world record for lightning discharge distance The powerful lightning ...