Static electricity is the result of several factors. It is most prevalent during low humidity. Humidity, water molecules in the air, grounds out free electrons. You gather them as you walk across the carpet and then release them to ground when you grab a door knob. Humidity does this at a constant rate. The more dense water vapor, the less static electricity accumulates in the air as they are continually brought to ground with the conductivity of water. The times that the atmosphere becomes charged from warm air meeting cold air increases static as well. During a lightning storm, the warm air rises into colder air and the static will become discharged to ground. These changes in static electricity can be effectively monitored through electronic means. Parts List: Q1 -- 2N3823 M1 -- 0-50 uA Meter R1 -- 2k ohm resistor Pickup Rod -- 3-5 inches of insulated wire Misc -- 9 v battery and clip Suppose a UFO creates a static charge as it passes through the water vapor in our atmosphere. This could conceivably cause enough static in the air to be measured. Witnesses, in some cases, say they felt a charge or smelled ozone during or after a sighting. These are indications that the physics behind the UFO causes an electrical reaction as it fly's through the air. The Static Monitor circuit is an easy and cheap approach in measuring static in the air. Static is a radio wave as other forms of electricity emit waves on some frequency. With this monitor, we use the pickup rod as an antenna to collect as many waves that pass by. Most of you have heard the distinctive click and crackle on a radio during an electrical storm every time lighting has struck even if it were miles away. This is what happens here only we are just interested in picking up the static discharge. This is a very sensitive receiver so adding wire to the pickup rod is not needed and never use it outdoors during an electrical storm. Try making a handheld unit for convenience. Test the unit with a plastic comb or balloon after you pass it over your hair or clothing, touch the pickup rod and see if there is any deflection on the meter. R1 controls the circuit by nulling (zeroing) out the meter.