References:

• [1] S.J. Desch, J.N. Cuzzi, "The Generation of Lightning in the Solar Nebula", Icarus, Volume 143, Issue 1, 2000, Pages 87-105, ISSN 0019-1035, https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1999.6245.
• [2] Steven J. Desch, Melissa A. Morris, Harold C. Connolly Jr., Alan P. Boss, "The importance of experiments: Constraints on chondrule formation models", Meteorics and Planetary Science, Volume 47, Issue 7, 2012, Pages 1139-1156, ISSN 1945-5100, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01357.x

Transcript

Jim: The lightning took out main power. We were drifting blind!
[SFX]: Kraka-Boom!!
[SFX]: beeeoooooow... {interior lights go off}
Beckett: Space lightning? Really?
Jim: Turbulence in the nebula causes asymmetrical triboelectric charge separation on dust particles, until the electric field ionises the gas and creates a discharge channel [1].
Beckett: Okay...
Jim: It’s one proposed mechanism for formation of meteoric chondrules in protoplanetary nebulae. A woman at JPL was working on it. It doesn’t create the right porphyritic textures, but the lightning is totally plausible [2].
Beckett: Okay, fine, it’s real. What happens next?
GM: Can I interrupt and just have Sally read out this note... for no reason.
Sally: Where’ve you gone? I can’t see you! Noooooooo....!!!
[SFX]: fzzzzt!
Jim: Qi’ra helped me get the lights back on. We’d drifted up to the kilometre-wide eyeball of a giant space creature!
Beckett: How is that—
Jim: It’s biology! Anything’s possible!