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  1. Illustration of St. Elmo's fire on a ship at sea Electrostatic discharge flashes across the windscreen of a KC-10 cockpit. St. Elmo's fire (also called witchfire or witch's fire [1]) 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 [2] in an atmospheric electric field.

  2. Aug 24, 2020 · The electrical phenomenon is more than just a bad Brat Pack movie. MIT scientists have found that wind enhances St. Elmo's Fire on the ground, but tames it in the air. The "corona discharge" skims ...

    • Caroline Delbert
    • 4 min
  3. Jun 9, 2023 · St. Elmo's Fire also behaves something like a plasma globe. One pilot described the phenomenon occurring on the windshield of her small plane while flying through a storm cloud; when she touched the inside of the windshield, blue streaks reached toward the tips of her fingers [source: USA Today]. ­ For more information on St. Elmo's Fire and ...

    • Julia Layton
  4. Nov 26, 2019 · St. Elmo's fire seen at night.(Image credit: Getty) 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 ...

  5. Feb 3, 2023 · St. Elmo’s fire can impact any aircraft flying through heavily charged skies. While it is not a hazard as such, it is usually accompanied by rough weather and can be followed by lightning. St Elmo’s Fire, earlier looked upon as an eerie glow by sailors at sea triggering spiritual fantasies has been rendered a proper scientific explanation by greats like Benjamin Franklin and Charles Darwin.

  6. Apr 13, 2024 · St. Elmo’s Fire is a fascinating atmospheric phenomenon that has captured the imagination of sailors, pilots, and scientists for centuries. It is a glowing plasma discharge that appears as a blue or violet light on the tips of pointed objects, such as ship masts, airplane wings, or even the horns of cattle during thunderstorms.

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  8. Sep 13, 2024 · The name St. Elmo is an Italian corruption, through Sant’ Ermo, of St. Erasmus, the patron saint of Mediterranean sailors, who regarded St. Elmo’s fire as the visible sign of his guardianship over them. The phenomenon was considered to be a token of good luck because it is most pronounced near the end of a storm.

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