In 1882, American photographer William Nicholson Jennings made history by capturing the first lightning strike on camera. Fascinated by the raw power of lightning, Jennings dedicated much of his career to this challenging pursuit. His groundbreaking photograph marked a significant moment in both meteorology and photography, offering scientists invaluable insights into the intricate structure and behavior of lightning.
Before Jennings’ work, lightning was often imagined as a simple zigzag in artistic depictions. However, his photograph revealed the true complexity and variety of lightning’s form, reshaping our understanding of this natural phenomenon. This discovery was crucial for advancing the study and accurate representation of lightning. Jennings’ achievement was all the more remarkable given the difficulties of photographing such a fleeting and unpredictable event with the technology available at the time.
