In two new papers published in Nature, researchers have unveiled that gamma radiation in thunderstorms is far more prevalent than previously thought. Using a retrofitted U2 spy plane to get a better look at these storms, scientists discovered that thunderstorms constantly generate gamma radiation in various forms.

Thunderstorms create a lot of wind, rain, and lightning, but many people aren’t necessarily aware of another common byproduct: gamma radiation. Thanks to a creative retrofit of an old U-2 spy plane courtesy of NASA,

Most tropical lightning storms are RADIOACTIVE, reveals new research. Observations from a retrofitted U2 American spy plane found a "surprising" amount and variety of gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms.

Although researchers have long known that thunderstorms generated high-energy particles otherwise detected in supernovae,