Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2025 July 27
     [2]A volcano is shown with its peak in the midst of purple clouds.
     Lightning appears to come out of the top of the volcano in multiple
   paths into the upper sky. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                     Lightning over the Volcano of Water
         Image Credit: [3]Sergio Montúfar ([4]Pinceladas Nocturnas)

   Explanation: Have you ever watched a lightning storm in awe? You're not
   alone. Details of what causes [5]lightning are still [6]being
   researched, but it is known that inside some clouds, internal updrafts
   cause collisions between ice and [7]snow that slowly [8]separate
   charges between cloud tops and bottoms. The [9]rapid electrical
   discharges that are [10]lightning soon result. [11]Lightning usually
   takes a jagged course, [12]rapidly heating a thin column of air to
   about three times the surface temperature of the [13]Sun. The resulting
   [14]shock wave starts [15]supersonically and decays into the [16]loud
   [17]sound known as [18]thunder. On average, around the world, about
   [19]6,000 lightning bolts occur between clouds and the [20]Earth every
   minute. [21]Pictured in July 2019 in a two-image composite, lightning
   stems from communication antennas near the top of [22]Volcán de Agua
   (Volcano of Water) in [23]Guatemala[24].

   Sky Surprise: [25]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post
                                    1995)
                 Tomorrow's picture: [26]asteroid explosion
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2507/LightningVolcano_Montufar_3000.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/sergiomontufar.space
   4. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_acubens/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning
   6. https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/topics/atmosphere/lightning/history
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240121.html
   8. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19880001070
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210104.html
  10. https://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/lightning/
  11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn65RFvJKnk
  12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgurite
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240104.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070819.html
  16. https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.4790337142.9753/flat,750x,075,f-pad,750x1000,f8f8f8.jpg
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100427.html
  18. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2005/ch_5.html
  19. https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2zjDdS3NzQ
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcán_de_Agua
  23. https://youtu.be/SfPbWdmvZRU
  24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250728.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250726.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250727
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250728.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  40. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/