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bead lightning
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Three frames from a motion-picture film of bead lightning, showing the appearance of luminous beadlike segments in the lightning flash.
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Quick Facts
Also called:
chain lightning
Related Topics:
lightning
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Three frames from a motion-picture film of bead lightning, showing the appearance of luminous beadlike segments in the lightning flash.
Three frames from a motion-picture film of bead lightning, showing the appearance of luminous beadlike segments in the lightning flash.

bead lightning

meteorology
Also known as: chain lightning
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

bead lightning, form of lightning of longer duration than more typical lightning that appears as a string of luminous segments instead of a continuous channel. It occurs infrequently but has been observed many times. Its causes are unknown, but among the theories proposed are the following: portions of the lightning channel are slanted toward or away from the observer and thus seem brighter or dimmer; parts of the channel are obscured by rain or clouds; and sections of the channel with large radii cool more slowly than do those with small radii.