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Corona discharge
- St Elmo's Fire is a meteorological phenomenon where pointed tall objects on the surface, like church towers and ship masts, create an electrical discharge in the form of a blue plasma in a highly charged electrical field. The illuminated plasma is the result of a process called corona discharge.
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Why does St Elmo's fire occur most often on pointed objects?
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Jun 9, 2023 · The reason why St. Elmo's Fire occurs most often on pointed objects is that a tapered surface will discharge at a lower voltage level. The tip of a steeple, mast or airplane wing presents something like a condensed surface charge. When the air molecules tear apart, they emit light.
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Feb 3, 2023 · Pointed objects facilitate St. Elmo’s Fire since these surfaces can discharge at lower voltage levels. For instance, the mast of a ship, tip of an airplane wing or that of a church steeple. The constant glow lasts for several minutes in some cases.
St. Elmo's fire (also called witchfire or witch's fire) is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as a mast, spire, chimney, or animal horn in an atmospheric electric field.
Saint Elmo’s fire, luminosity accompanying brushlike discharges of atmospheric electricity that sometimes appears as a faint light on the extremities of pointed objects such as church towers or the masts of ships during stormy weather, or along electric power lines.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 26, 2019 · St. Elmo's fire is a persistent blue glow that occasionally appears near pointy objects during storms. The name is something of a misnomer, as the electric phenomenon has more in common...
Jun 9, 2024 · St. Elmo’s fire occurs due to ionization of the air by a strong electrical field. During thunderstorms, the electric field around pointed objects becomes extremely strong. When this field exceeds a critical value, it ionizes the air molecules around the object.
Aug 19, 2009 · The phenomenon is scientifically known as a corona or point discharge. It occurs on objects, especially pointed ones, when the electrical field potential strength reaches about one thousand volts per centimeter.
