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From: kgreer@mcnc.org (Ken Greer)
Newsgroups: rec.boats,sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: St Elmo's Fire (was Re: Lightning)
Keywords: Induction, space charge, capacitance, point action
Message-ID: <2436@speedy.mcnc.org>
Date: 19 Jul 90 17:02:09 GMT
References: <1990Jul18.111525.5749@ioe.lon.ac.uk>
Reply-To: kgreer@mcnc.org.UUCP (Ken Greer)
Organization: MCNC; RTP, NC
Lines: 20

In article <1990Jul18.111525.5749@ioe.lon.ac.uk> teexmmo@ioe.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore) writes:
+++ [other stuff about a corona discharge (St. Elmo's Fire)]
+++
++I know this is the commonly accepted idea behind lightning rods, but as I
++learned in my college physics class, lightning rods actually REPEL lightning,
++rather than ATTRACTING it.  The physics behind it goes something like this:

---------- stuff deleted -----------

+Lightning conductors _tend_ to prevent lightning strikes. 


  Ok, so "knowing" all this, as I understand it to be said, one should be
safer standing on the roof next to a lightning rod, instead of somewhere
else?  Or do I completely miss the point?
-- 
Kim L. Greer			       try: klg@orion.mc.duke.edu
Duke University Medical Center		    kgreer@mcnc.org
Div. Nuclear Medicine  POB 3949             klg@dukeac.ac.duke.edu
Durham, NC 27710  919-660-2711x5223       fax: 919-681-5636