In the past, people attributed Catatumbo lightning to the action of uranium in the bedrock, methane released by the surrounding swamps, or the massive oil deposits of Lake Maracaibo. Catatumbo lighting is born from a continuous dance of cold and heat.

The second- and third- most electric locales in the world are Kabare and Kampene, two towns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. On average, electrical storms occur 260 nights appear per year, predominantly between 7 p.m. According to experts at Zulia State University in Venezuela, Catatumbo lighting is most active during the rainy season in September and October, and least active in January and February, the dry season. Using data collected between 19 by NASA’s lightning image sensor on its Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, researchers identified the Catatumbo zone of Lake Maracaibo as the lightning capital of the world. In 2016, Catatumbo took the crown as the world's top lighting hotspot. We can't keep all that lighting in a bottle, so here are 10 essential facts about the astounding phenomenon.

According to NASA, the energy released during just 10 minutes of Catatumbo lightning could illuminate the whole of South America. The rayo del Catatumbo (Catatumbo lightning), also known as the Faro de Maracaibo (Maracaibo beacon), puts forth an average of 232.52 flashes of lightning per square kilometer each year.

One place in Venezuela, near the confluence of the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo, experiences dazzling lightning storms almost every day, making it Earth’s most electric spot. Lightning was likely the first source of fire for prehistoric humans-and it remains, along with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, one of nature’s most amazing displays of power.

Constant lightning storm