"Thunder is impressive," Mark Twain wrote, "but it is lightning that does the work." Anyone who's watched a lightning storm will understand what he meant: Lightning is one of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena, illuminating the skies with its fearsome forks.
According to the U.K. Met Office, lightning strikes the planet up to 1.4 billion times a year, or an estimated 44 times every second. And it's more than just a light show: Lightning plays a critical role in keeping Earth's electrical balance in check; aids in fixing nitrogen, thereby helping plants grow; and potentially even helps to clear the atmosphere of pollutants.
