Is lightning really hotter than the surface of the sun?!

Arab Weather - In a phenomenon that may seem surprising, physical studies have revealed that the temperature of lightning can reach 30,000 degrees Celsius, which is approximately five times the temperature of the surface of the sun, which is estimated at only about 5,500 degrees Celsius! To understand this, we must first understand how lightning occurs.

How does lightning occur and what causes its high temperature?

Lightning is formed by a rapid electrical discharge occurring between clouds or between clouds and the ground when large electrical charges accumulate in cumulus clouds. This discharge travels through air, a relatively resistant medium, heating the air extremely rapidly and very locally.

In fractions of a second, the air in the lightning channel heats up to tens of thousands of degrees Celsius, causing a bright white glow visible from great distances. This instantaneous and violent heating is what causes thunder, as the air surrounding the lightning expands very rapidly, creating a powerful sound wave.

So which is hotter, the sun or lightning?

What we see of the Sun is only its outer surface, known as the photosphere, which reaches a temperature of about 5,500°C. By comparison, the temperature of a lightning strike is about five times higher. However, it is worth noting that the temperature of the Sun's core (the inner center) is much higher, reaching 15 million degrees Celsius, which is the environment in which nuclear fusion takes place.

Time and continuity must be taken into account. Lightning is a momentary phenomenon lasting less than a second, while the sun has been a continuous source of energy for more than 4.6 billion years. Yet, the heat of lightning remains a terrifying and powerful moment of natural forces that is difficult to imagine.

Note: The intense heat of lightning can melt sand into a natural glass known as fulgurite, which is rare and of scientific and geological value.