Lightning: It happens all the time, and yet the exact details of how it's made has long eluded scientists. That is, until now. New research out this week in the journal Nature holds new insights into the precursor to lightning. To figure it out, researchers flew a NASA ER-2 – essentially the research version of a spy plane – over several tropical thunderstorms. What they found: The same high energy radiation is found in places like neutron stars and around black holes.

Want to hear more stories about the science behind natural phenomena? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy