Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sakurajima Volcano with Lightning

NASA ^ | March 11, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Why does a volcanic eruption sometimes create lightning? Pictured above, the Sakurajima volcano in southern Japan was caught erupting in early January. Magma bubbles so hot they glow shoot away as liquid rock bursts through the Earth's surface from below. The above image is particularly notable, however, for the lightning bolts caught near the volcano's summit. Why lightning occurs even in common thunderstorms remains a topic of research, and the cause of volcanic lightning is even less clear. Surely, lightning bolts help quench areas of opposite but separated electric charges. One hypothesis holds that catapulting magma bubbles or volcanic ash are themselves electrically charged, and by their motion create these separated areas. Other volcanic lightning episodes may be facilitated by charge-inducing collisions in volcanic dust. Lightning is usually occurring somewhere on Earth, typically over 40 times each second.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Martin Rietze (Alien Landscapes on Planet Earth)]

[SunkenCiv]

What an erupting sack o' rajima!

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[sushiman]

My neck of the woods ...Thanks for posting !

[left that other site]

Domo Arigato, Civ!

[Jonah Hex]

Wow...looks like that would make a cool blacklight poster.

(Sorry, showing my age.)

[TheOldLady]

Ah... My next ZOT graphic. Thank you, Mr. Civilizations.

[Jack Hydrazine]

As cool as a velvet Elvis blacklight poster!

[Northern Yankee]

I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ!!!