INTRODUCTION I remember when I was a child; I was always afraid whenever there was a heavy storm outside that included thunder and lightning. This was especially true in the dark hours, when lightning could actually be seen. As I grew up, this so-called fear of lightning turned into a fascination with these meteorological phenomena. One of my most vivid lightning memories as a young man was when I was flying in Florida, the plane was at a higher altitude than a thunderstorm, which was producing strong lightning, I watched the flash of lightning break out as we flew above the clouds, it It was one of the most surprising and beautiful things I've ever seen. I think it was at this point that my fascination with lightning began. To this day I love a good thunderstorm that produces multiple lightning strikes. In my essay I will try to take an in-depth look at lightning, explaining what causes it, the ideal conditions that turn a storm into an electrical storm, and attempting to explain exactly how lightning works. And explain and/or dispel some of the rumors surrounding lightning. Main Body Dictionary.com defines illumination as a bright electrical discharge in the atmosphere that occurs within a thundercloud, between thunderclouds, or between the ground and a cloud (dictionary.com). When there is a large imbalance between the positive and negative charges in the atmosphere an electrical discharge occurs, this electrical discharge is classified as lightning. (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning-profile/) About 80% of all lightning strikes occur in clouds, while the remaining 20% ​​occur between the ground and clouds . Lighting events also generate a large amount of heat, which can reach up to five times the surface temperature of the sun, or about 54,000 degrees F. It is this rapid heating of the air around the lightning that produces a shock wave . , which in turn becomes a sound wave that we know as thunder....... middle of paper ......Although lightning can be dangerous, it doesn't take away the beauty of watching a good storm, as long as you are safe at home or away from danger. In the previous pages I have explained how and why lightning forms in a cloud, what makes it strike and how the conductive path is achieved, as well as debunking some myths. Sources: - http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/lightning.htm - http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning-profile/ - http://dictionary. reference.com/browse/lightning - http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/ - Ahrens, C. Donald.