INTERIOR AIRCRAFT LIGHTING DEVICE, AIRCRAFT COMPRISING AN INTERIOR AIRCRAFT LIGHTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF STARTING AN INTERIOR AIRCRAFT LIGHTING DEVICE

An interior aircraft lighting device (2) comprises: at least two discharge light modules (3, 4), including at least one first discharge light module (3) and at least one second discharge light module (4), wherein each discharge light module (3, 4) contains at least one excitable gas, which emits electromagnetic radiation (14) pursuant to electric excitation; and multiple electrodes (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b), wherein at least one pair of electrodes (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) is assigned to each discharge light module (3, 4) for applying an electric field to the at least one excitable gas within the respective discharge light module (3, 4). The two electrodes (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) of each pair of electrodes (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction (A) of the respective discharge light module (3, 4). The pairs of electrodes (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) include at least one first pair of electrodes (5a, 5b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b), which is assigned to the at least one first discharge light module (3), and at least one second pair of electrodes (6a, 6b), which is assigned to the at least one second discharge light module (4). A distance (a1, a11, a12) between the two electrodes (5a, 5b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) of the at least one first pair of electrodes (5a, 5b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b) is smaller than a distance (a2) between the two electrodes (6a, 6b) of the at least one second pair of electrodes (6a, 6b).