How Does St. Elmo's Fire Relate to Corona Discharge?

💡 The Answer

• St. Elmo's fire is a specific form of corona discharge occurring at sharp tips in strong electric fields.
• Corona discharge happens when the electric field exceeds the dielectric breakdown of air, but the current is too low for an arc.
• The resulting ionization creates a faint plasma glow around the conductor, visible as St. Elmo's fire.
• It is related to phenomena like electric sparks and lightning but differs in energy and duration.