Gamma rays flared as this lightning bolt formed

Thunderstorms generate this high energy radiation, but pinning it to specific bolt is new

A bolt of lightning zaps a TV tower, lighting up a purple clouded stormy sky.

This lightning bolt striking a television broadcast antenna in Japan in January 2023 marks the first time a specific discharge has been definitively linked to a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, a new study reveals.

Yuuki Wada

The collision of two lightning-bolts-in-the-making spawned an exceedingly brief but extremely energetic flash of gamma rays.