August 15, 2008

Slow Motion Lightening . Wowsome. Stolen from this week's B3TA newsletter.
posted by kitfisto 16 years ago
  • WOO-HOO!!!
  • FRIKKIN' AWESOME DUDE! I love how it looks like a network of "feelers" are sent down -- and then KABLAMMY!!
  • Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na -- THUN-DER!!!
  • I've had thunder and lightening go off right above me. It was weird - I heard a tiny 'click' like someone flicking a lightswitch then FLASH BOOOOOOM!!!! like a fucking bomb. I shat, needless to say. Good times...
  • Wasn't expecting images of Angus Young running through my mind this morning, and well, there you have it...
  • /jaw drops Tarnation**, that was awesome! (Kind of looks like varicose veins.) (I recently saw a kids' production of HMS Pinafore where they substituted "The big T/tarnation" for "The big D/damme," and it tickled me to no end.
  • Given that this has been the most thunder-and-lightning-filled summer that I can ever remember, this was especially tasty, surprising viewing. Better than fireworks, for sure!
  • I was expecting it to be videos of things getting progressively lighter in slo-mo. (I keed, kitfisto. :) Love the awe of nature and that.)
  • The mechanism looks interesting. The initial blast is very explosion-like with 'feelers' emanating out from it. If you look closely, the first 'feeler' to reach the ground (or any object at ground potential), sets the path for the ensuing lightning strike, where the bulk of electrical transfer takes place. I suspect this is because the 'feelers' heat the air as they pass through, and that heated air gets ionized and becomes a much better electrical conductor than the cooler air everywhere else.
  • I was expecting it to be videos of things getting progressively lighter in slo-mo. Hehe, reminds me of the coffee machines that make no pretense of adding any sort of milk-based product, but instead have a "Lightener" button,
  • Look, that's how I spell it, OK?
  • That's cool, but weird. I always thought that lightning came up from the ground. What do I know?
  • I knew it went up, but never actually believed it, if you know what I mean. This explains it nicely. Also reminds me never to go tap dancing in metal shoes whilst carrying an umbrella in a thunderstorm.
  • Oh, but then you'll never get to do this!
  • I knew it went up, but never actually believed it, if you know what I mean. That's why I'm confused. This video seems, pretty clearly, to show the lightning coming down from the sky.
  • Until it hits the ground and is earthed (or something, I don't know!) and then shoot back into the sky. Right in god's kisser.
  • The feelers come down, but once contact it made, it goes up. Turns out you can have it both ways.
  • That was beautiful, Capt!
  • Slow motion maybe, but I'd like to see kitfisto outrun it.
  • *zing*
  • The "feelers" are called step leaders, apparently. They're paths of ionized air that grow out from the electric field in a somewhat haphazard manner. As rocket88 says, the step leader that earths itself first provides the path for the full discharge.
  • Unsettled atmosphere in the Pacific Northwest for the next couple days. Going to drop the temps from triple digits down to 79 on Wed. Whoo-hooo! Of course, today was the day we spent all day out riding in the heat, but the lawn chair and cold beer at the end were worth it. We've had a few rain drops, mostly blowing dirt since it's going around us, but tonight in Eastern Oregon the NOAA registered over 200 lightning strikes in one hour. Now that would electrify your short hairs! I'm watching it out to the South--looks like dry lightning. Going to be one scary fire season if this keeps up.
  • That was like a mini Kerouac novel right there.