== == It is actually both. Here are details from from NSSL http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_ltg.php
Static discharge is causes the spark that is seen when electricity in a thunderhead discharges. The most common name for this type of spark or discharge is lightening.
Lightning can strike antennas because they are tall and metal structures that provide a direct path for electrical discharge to the ground. The metal in the antenna can conduct the electrical charge from the lightning strike, helping to protect the structure from damage.
Lightning strikes from the sky when a channel of charged ions reaches down from the sky to connect with a channel of the opposite charge that is reaching up. This causes a flash of light called a step leader when electricity travels between the charges.
Yes, aluminum is a good conductor of electricity, so it can attract lightning strikes. However, lightning is more likely to strike taller objects that provide a path of least resistance to the ground.
Lightning tends to strike tall objects such as trees, buildings, or towers because they offer an easier path for the electrical discharge to reach the ground. However, lightning can strike the ground directly or move horizontally, so being the tallest object does not guarantee a strike.
Lightning can appear to strike from the ground up due to a phenomenon called a "positive lightning strike." This occurs when a positive charge builds up on the ground, attracting the negatively charged lightning bolt. The bolt then appears to travel upward from the ground to the cloud.
No, lightning strikes from the sky down.
Lightning typically strikes from the sky down to the ground.
No, lightning does not always strike the ground. Lightning can also strike other objects such as trees, buildings, or even other clouds.
No, lightning does not strike upwards. Lightning typically strikes downwards from the clouds to the ground.
Lightning forms when positive and negative charges build up in a cloud. The negative charges at the bottom of the cloud attract positive charges on the ground, creating a path for lightning to strike from the ground up.
Static discharge is causes the spark that is seen when electricity in a thunderhead discharges. The most common name for this type of spark or discharge is lightening.
Lightning strikes downward from the clouds to the ground.
because (fork lightning in particular) lightning starts on the ground!
Lightning travels both up and down in the atmosphere. It starts with a downward leader from the cloud towards the ground, followed by an upward streamer from the ground to meet the downward leader, creating the visible lightning strike.
i guess it all depends on were it is directly at and lighting can go until it hits the ground
A positive lightning strike carries a higher voltage and occurs less frequently than a negative lightning strike. Positive lightning strikes are also known to travel longer distances and have the potential to cause more damage compared to negative lightning strikes.