Twin Lightning Strikes
July 12, 2019
Photographer: Jeremy P. Harbeck
Summary Authors: Jeremy P. Harbeck; Jim Foster
The photo above shows twin lightning bolts captured during a thunderstorm near Odenton, Maryland, on May 26, 2019. These cloud-to-ground strikes certainly caught everyone’s attention in the immediate vicinity. This storm generated numerous such discharges. Typically, as a negatively charged leader descends toward the surface from the base of a storm cloud, positively charged streamers from the ground race to meet it. Though the width of powerful bolts like these look huge, in actuality, their channels are no more than an inch or so (2.5 – 5.0 cm) in diameter.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 6D; Software: Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 11.3 (Windows); Exposure Time: 10.000s; ISO equivalent: 250; Aperture: ƒ/8.0; Focal Length: 24.0mm.