Rare dark lightning may briefly strike planes

Dark Lightning is a phenomenon that scientist are just beginning to understand. Dark Lightning is different to normally lightning; dark lightning is a release of high energy gamma radiation. Dark lightning can occur in supernovae, super massive back holes and thunderstorms.

Dark Lightning was first reported in 1991, at the time it was thought this was gamma rays coming from space. In 2013 scientists in Norway detected the presence of another type of lightning taking place during a thunderstorm. This lightning known as dark lightning is not visible to the naked eye and does not produce any sound.

Dark lightning is a burst of gamma rays produced by electrons travelling close to the speed of light smashing into airborne atoms, this occurs at altitudes of 12,000 metres or more. Planes fly at altitudes of 10,000 meters but the chances of being stuck by dark lightning is unlikely as pilots actively avoid flying near a thunderstorm.