Science

Spider Skies

Why are millions of Australian spiders climbing to high points and jumping?

In the Southern Tablelands region of Australia, a “ballooning” event has seen millions of spiders riding the wind and creating their own arachnid storm. For reasons that are not entirely clear, the spiders in question crawl to the highest point they can find, release strands of silk, then launch themselves into the air.

Watch similar events in the video above, along with the most likely explanation for the unusual mass event.