Daily Celestial Challenge: Thursday/Nature Day/Catatumbo Lightning

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This phenomenon is characterized by the appearance of a series of almost continuous and almost silent rays due to the great distances needed to observe the phenomenon, which occurs in clouds of great vertical development, and electric discharges between 1 and almost 4 kilometers in height, as the winds associated with the Low Level Nocturnal Jet of the Maracaibo Lake Basin penetrate the surface of the lake in the afternoon hours (when the evaporation is greater).

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The origin of this phenomenon is in the orographic effect of these mountain ranges that enclose and brake the northeasterly winds; thus, clouds of great vertical development are produced, concentrated mainly in the Catatumbo river basin. This phenomenon is very easy to see from hundreds of kilometers away, as from Cúcuta, in Colombia, or from the lake itself (where there are usually no clouds at night).

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For this reason, it is also known as the Maracaibo Lighthouse, since the boats that sailed the area could sail during the night without problems at the time of sailing. It can occur up to 260 times a year and lasts up to 10 hours per night; In addition, this phenomenon can reach 60 downloads per minute.

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Naturally, Lightning has its own cycle of activity. They are more visible in October and November, and occur less frequently in January and February, although they can be seen throughout the year (in number of days they change from year to year, but on average they are about 260 nights / year).

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The Catatumbo Lightning bolts involve not only the lightning itself, but also the lightning or electric shocks and thunder that occur. The luminosity of the lightning produced by different storms in the South of the Lake can be seen from afar as if they were a single phenomenon, which is why they are sometimes called "The Maracaibo Lighthouse".