Negative and Positive Charge

Many people don't know that a lightning bolt can have either a positive or a negative charge. What we usually see striking the Earth are actually negative bolts. These are produced when the lower part of a cloud becomes so saturated with negatively charged particles that it will "short circuit" resulting in the formation of the bolt. On the other hand, positive bolts dissipate and are largely unseen. Even so, they still carry a deadly charge.