Comments on: A Bolt from the Blue. http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/ The Neat Side of the Web Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:07:10 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Anthony http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-136477 Anthony Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:56:03 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/#comment-136477 Thanks, my pleasure. Thanks, my pleasure.

]]> By: gail http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-136212 gail Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:21:57 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/#comment-136212 Thanks for pointing that out Anthony. I checked the NOAA article and found that the information about charge was not included, so I have removed it. Thanks for pointing that out Anthony. I checked the NOAA article and found that the information about charge was not included, so I have removed it.

]]> By: Anthony http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-136210 Anthony Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:10:49 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/27/a-bolt-from-the-blue/#comment-136210 "Most lightning bolts carry a negative charge, but 'bolts from the blue' have a positive charge, carry as much as 10 times the current, are hotter and last longer." That's not true. Lightning can strike cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, or ground to cloud. Therefore, depending on how you measure the current, you can get a positive or negative number. However, that current is always electrons flowing, the -/+ sign is just a way of saying which way those electrons are going. Therefore, lightning bolts themselves are always negatively charged. A positively charged lightning bolt would mean protons are flowing (which they don't do). "Most lightning bolts carry a negative charge, but 'bolts from the blue' have a positive charge, carry as much as 10 times the current, are hotter and last longer."

That's not true. Lightning can strike cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, or ground to cloud. Therefore, depending on how you measure the current, you can get a positive or negative number.

However, that current is always electrons flowing, the -/+ sign is just a way of saying which way those electrons are going. Therefore, lightning bolts themselves are always negatively charged. A positively charged lightning bolt would mean protons are flowing (which they don't do).

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