Is It True That Lightning Is Hotter Than The Sun?

May 2024 · 1 minute read

Since lightning is dangerous, scientists often have to study it from afar. Although to be fair, they also have to study the sun from afar because it's in space. National Geographic explained lightning can heat up its surroundings to dangerous levels. It also causes the surrounding air to expand and vibrate, causing thunder. So when researchers wanted to find out its temperature, they had to examine the light it gave off and figured out how hot it got.

What scientists found was something no one really expected. Lightning, or at least some forms of it, can get up to five times hotter than the sun.

According to NASA, a return strike — when a bolt of lightning shoots up back to the clouds after hitting the ground — can reach temperatures of up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. With the heat lightning can generate, it's no surprise that a single bolt can vaporize all water around it, per the National Weather Service. So you know, a single bolt of lightning can really burn you when being hit by it.

In contrast, the surface of the sun peaks at around 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, that's not to say getting close to the sun will not burn you. Nay, it will still absolutely incinerate you.

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