Fun Facts

Thunder, Lightning & Thor’s Day

Photo: Wikipedia

Thunder is created the second a lightning strike leaves Earth and spears upward, making a channel of ionized air. The channel viciously expands, creating a sonic shock wave or thunderclap. As you know we hear the sound of thunder after we see the lighting flash, as light travels at a speed of 186,282 miles per second while sound travels along slowly at 1,100 feet per second. The speed of sound is also affected by variables such as temperature and moisture in the air (Nautre's Fireworks). The speed of sound in dry air at 68 ̊ is 768 mph, so to determine how far away the lightning strike is just count the seconds by saying “one thousand-one, one thousand-two”etc. between the lightning flash and the sound of the thunder, and that is how many miles away the storm is located. If the lightning and thunder happen at the same moment, the storm is right overhead (Wikipedia).

The decibel level of a thunderclap can cause deafness or hearing impairment. Thunder falls into categories based on loudness, duration and pitch. Claps are loud, lasting up to 2 seconds with a high pitch, peals change in loudness and pitch, rolls have an irregular mix, and rumbles are less loud with low pitch and last up to 30 seconds (Wikipedia).

The July full moon is known as the thunder moon for there are many storms during the month. Thunderstorms move in and out very quickly, therefore they are hard to predict with any accuracy. Thursday is named for the Norse god of thunder, Thor. When Thor struck his mighty hammer, the thunder roared (The Almanac).