English: A homemade Marx generator produces six hundred thousand volts from 6 C cell batteries. The Marx generator (right) consists of ten round capacitors which are charged in parallel to a high voltage and then connected in series by nine spark gap switches (left of capacitors). At this brief moment of discharge, all nine of the metal ball spark gaps in the middle tower spark simultaneously, connecting the capacitors in series, generating a high voltage which creates the long spark at left. The light of the spark gaps firing is faintly visible reflected from the supporting equipment.
Photographed at Maker Faire 2009, San Mateo, California.