Is there an upper limit to how far an electrical arc can travel?

Question

I know ordinary lightning can be several miles long, 'positive' lightning something like 20 miles. In space is it simply a matter of the voltage potential between 2 points? Could a bolt of 'lightning' be 100 miles long? A thousand? Could lightning jump between planets? Is there any upper limit?

Answer 1

Lightning requires friction and atmosphere, neither of which are present in space.

Answer 2

An electrical arc could travel an infinite distance, given of course the medium in which it traveled was infinite in length and you had and infinite amount of energy to shoot the arc. All the electricity needs is a medium to travel through, air is a medium, a weak one, but nonetheless a medium in which lightning or electricity can travel through, you see this everyday in lightning as we all know. To show you what I mean by an electrical arc could travel an infinite distance, I already said electricity needs a medium to travel through, can electricity not travel through a wire? As long as the wire is, and as long as you have enough energy to overcome the sire's resistance, you could make that electrical signal travel for millions of miles, air is the same idea. Except in air, the resistance to electrical conductance is much higher, and hence much more energy would be needed to make the electrical arc travel farther.
However, with that in mind, the lack of a medium doesn't restrict an electrical current to travel through only mediums. It can be generate by several methods. One being the cathode ray tube. The second being the photoelectric effect. The physics are slightly complicated but basically by shining a light of sufficient energy onto any metal surface, electrons actually eject from the metal surface. Therefore you can in fact carry a current through the vacuum of space.

Answer 3

The length of the arc will depends on factors such as the voltage potential between points and medium (of travel) conductivity. Even when you've surpassed these, it can travel as ball lighting (spheres of plasma).

Answer 4

I dont think I want to be on the planets trading lightning.

Answer 5

as far as possible... you see you need 3000 volts to pass 1mm Air on 20% humidity and 20 degrees celsius, thus you need 30000 to pass 1cm and so on. but you have to think that you have atmosphere not infinite thickness and temperature and humidity changes from point to point. you need some electricity carrier like Air or something. if you dont have carrier you dont have electric arc too (as it is between planets, where is vacuum i.e. nothing ).