News Earth Gamma rays flared as this lightning bolt formed Thunderstorms generate this high energy radiation, but pinning it to specific bolt is new This lightning bolt striking a television broadcast antenna in Japan in January 2023 marks the first time a specific discharge has been definitively linked to a terrestrial gamma-ray flash, a new study reveals. Yuuki Wada By Sid Perkins 1 hour ago The collision of two lightning-bolts-in-the-making spawned an exceedingly brief but extremely energetic flash of gamma rays. This first-of-its-kind observation may help explain an origin of some of the most energetic radiation on Earth. Researchers have for years linked the production of gamma rays to the acceleration of electrons by strong electric fields in thunderstorms. Yet they’ve never been able to pinpoint the source of any so-called terrestrial gamma ray flashes, says Yuuki Wada, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Osaka in Japan. He and his team set out to remedy that by observing a hotbed of wintertime lightning over the west coast of Japan in January 2023. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.