This is the famous anvil shape of a healthy thunderstorm. What happens is the prevailing upper level winds blow the top of the thunderstorm and allows for the air in the thunderstorm to continue to rise for awhile. Whenever you see an anvil in the sky, you can be sure that that thunderstorm is strong if not severe.

What does a cumulonimbus look like from outer space, while being alluminated by lightning? The photo to the left gives a great view of this phenomenon. This photo was released to us by NASA.

Lightning can strike twice! The photo to the left shows three different lightning strikes. The center building which is being struck, was hit multiple times over the years. So the theory of lightning never striking in the same place twice, just isn't so! This photo was released to us by NASA.

If there was a way to prevent lightining from stiking, NASA would have implimented it to prevent this strike from hitting the launching pad of the space shuttle Atlantis. But, unfortanutly, there is no way to prevent lightning from striking. This photo was released to us by NASA.

During August each summer, the South-Western part of the United States, which is usually dry most of the year, experiences the monsoon season. Moisture from the Pacific Ocean makes its way over the 4-coroner states and causes thunderstorms. The bad part about this is that sometimes a thunderstorm will occur, but the only product will be lightning. This is bad becuase a lightning strike can cause forrest fires and is one of the main reasons that fires starts in the west. This photo was released to us by NASA.

This spectacular picture of lightning is just an example of how unpredictable mother nature is. Nobody can predict where lightning will strike. This photo was released to us by NASA.

Lightning is so bright that it can be seen from space. This photo from the docking bay of the space shuttle Columbia proves it. Just imagine, 200 years from now when we are living in space colonies, this photo will be an everyday sight! This photo was released to us by NASA.

This type of cloud, called mammatus, is caused by sinking air. This is the only cloud that isn't caused by rising air. The cold air of the top of the cumulobnimbus actually sinks and these clouds form. Mammatus clouds are a sign of a healthy thunderstorm. This photo was released to us by NASA.

This amazing picture of outflow from a thunderstorm near Myrtle Beach, SC looks like something out of a science fiction movie. This is not an alien spaceship, it is the first sign of a thunderstorm. If you were standing on the beach while looking at this, it would appear that the clouds were moving faster than usual. The clouds just seem to be moving faster since they are closer to us.

This is another picture of outflow from a thunderstorm near Myrtle Beach, SC. From this vantage point, it looks as though the clouds are only a couple feet from the water. Actually, the outflow is about 700 feet from the oceans surface. The scientific name for outflow is SCUD.

We would like to thank Paul Meyers for the pictures from NASA.