SAINT ELMO'S FIRE

the glow accompanying the brushlike discharges of atmospheric electricity that usually appears as a tip of light on the extremities of such pointed objects as church towers or the masts of ships during stormy weather. It is commonly accompanied by a crackling or fizzing noise. St. Elmo's fire, or corona discharge, is commonly observed on the periphery of propellers and along the wing tips, windshield, and nose of aircraft flying in dry snow, in ice crystals, or in the vicinity of thunderstorms. Various flight procedures, in addition to mechanical and electrical devices designed to reduce the charge accumulation, are utilized as safeguards in preventing or minimizing discharges. The name St. Elmo is an Italian corruption, through Sant' Ermo, of St. Erasmus, the patron saint of Mediterranean sailors, who regard St. Elmo's fire as the visible sign of his guardianship over them.