ELi5: How does lightning produce light, and how does that light differ from sunlight?

Question

ELi5: How does lightning produce light, and how does that light differ from sunlight?

In: 8

Answer 1

Energy can generate light (like a flame!)

The sun is made of flames

Lightning is just a big static charge

Even rubbing socks on carpet and poking a doorknob will generate a “spark”

This is because you’ve created energy, and the output basically becomes “light”