St. Elmo's Fire

weather · electricity · plasma · storms

Electric glow in storms. St. Elmo's fire is a ghostly blue or green light that appears on pointy things like ship masts, church spires, or even airplane wings during thunderstorms. It happens when the electric field in the air becomes so strong that it makes the air around the object glow like a tiny neon sign.

Named after a saint. Sailors gave this phenomenon its name after St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors. They thought the glowing light was a sign that the saint was protecting their ship during a dangerous storm.

Plasma discharge magic. What's really happening is called a corona discharge. The electric field pushes particles in the air so hard that they create plasma, which is a special state of matter that glows brightly.

Pilots see it too. Modern airplane pilots sometimes spot St. Elmo's fire dancing on their aircraft's wings and windshields during stormy weather. The pointy shape of planes makes them perfect targets for this electrical phenomenon.

Not actually hot. Even though it looks like fire, St. Elmo's fire is cool enough that it won't burn you. The glow is just excited air particles, not a real flame.