The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground, or within the clouds themselves. Most lightning occurs within the clouds. Lightning is one of nature's most common spectacles. Around the world, there are over three million flashes every day, and kills around 2000 people a year. Carried on the Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellites, the Lightning Imager supports a new capability for European meteorological satellites. It provides a continuous monitoring of more than 80% of the Earth disc for lightning discharges taking place either between clouds or from cloud and ground. The detection chain monitors these events, in a narrow spectral band centred on 777 nm, with a detector readout rate of 1 kHz and a spatial resolution around 10 km.