Storm Highway by Dan Robinson
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How are rockets used to make lightning?

By DAN ROBINSON
Editor/Photographer
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Researchers use rocket-triggered lightning as a means to make scientific observations of natural lightning at a close range. This process is extremely dangerous and requires careful safety measures, and is best left to experts. Spools of thin metal wire are attached to the base of small rockets. When the rockets are launched towards a thunderstorm cloud, the wire unwinds, creating a conducting path and initiating a ground-to-cloud lightning discharge.

Storm chaser and photographer Dan Robinson
About the Author: Dan Robinson has been a storm chaser, photographer and cameraman for 30 years. His career has involved traveling around the country covering the most extreme weather on the planet including tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, floods and winter storms. Dan has been extensively published in newspapers, magazines, web articles and more, and has both supplied footage for and appeared in numerous television productions and newscasts. He has also been involved in the research community, providing material for published scientific journal papers on tornadoes and lightning. Dan also holds an active Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA (Part 107) for commercial drone operation.

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