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ivi


Registered: 01/30/03
Posts: 9,089
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A Close Call
#5551413 - 04/24/06 03:10 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
I happened to be out in the back yard, watching a storm on Friday night (14/01/05) that appeared to be a few km away, (I live in Old Toongabbie, and the storm appeared to be in Pendle Hill, or Greystanes, Australia). I set the camera's settings so that the shutter remained open for four seconds, placed it on the back bumper of my car, hoping to get a few shots of lightning in the clouds a few km's away. There was no rain at all, and stars could be seen over the north 1/3 of the sky, so I did not feel in danger in any way. Boy was I mistaken... DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ELECTRICAL STORMS - YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED!
I clicked away a few times, and got nothing, and then clicked the button again, and within 0.5 seconds of me pressing the button, I had jumped at least 2 metres in the air, as I heard a tremendously loud crack of thunder, and see this amazingly bright beam of electricity right in front of me. I had then landed, grabbed the camera, and was inside the house within 2 seconds.
I did not realize just how lucky I was until I uploaded the picture to my computer, and saw a leader stroke that must have originated no more than 2 metres from where I was standing next to my car, under my carport. Had the main charge taken the leader near me, rather than the one it did, I would be dead.
When lightning strikes, it actually comes up from the ground first (called a leader stroke), this stroke makes the air within it conductive, and once it reaches the cloud, you have a complete circuit, and the bolt of lightning comes down from the cloud along the leader stroke. First leader to the cloud wins, luckily mine did not.
I estimate that the main bolt was approximately 1.5- 2 metres in diameter, and struck something in the yard behind the shed that is located at the back of the yard. That would have had an extremely large charge, and would have been extremely hot, hotter than the surface of the sun, at 5,500 degrees Celsius, it could have been around 30,000 degrees Celsius. Needless to say, I was buzzing for the rest of Friday night, due to the amount of adrenaline going through me 'cause of how close it had come.
-Kane Quinnell

http://205.243.100.155/frames/longarc.htm
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vinsue
Grand Old Fart


Registered: 02/17/04
Posts: 17,953
Loc: The Garden State(NJ)
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Re: A Close Call [Re: ivi]
#5551459 - 04/24/06 03:23 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Nice pic !! Couple years ago, I was chillin' on the porch during a thunder storm, when a bolt hit a tree about 20 feet away... almost a simultaneous flash/BOOM...you could feel the juice in the air. The hairs on my arms were standing up, not just from having the shit scared out of me, either... It blew the bark off one side of the tree from the ground up to about 20 feet high. The tree is still alive, BTW...
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"All mushrooms are edible; but some only once." Croatian proverb. BTW ... Have You Rated Ythans Mom Yet ?? ... ... HERE'S HOW ... (be nice) . ...
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sui
I love you.


Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,853
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Re: A Close Call [Re: ivi]
#5551462 - 04/24/06 03:24 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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thats a one in a million thing to catch on camera!!!
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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gregorio
Too Damn Old


Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 2,831
Loc: Classified
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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Re: A Close Call [Re: ivi]
#5556991 - 04/25/06 11:32 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Man that is a totally awesome photograph! The best one of a lightening strike that I have ever see, I would enter it is some photograph contests.
Excellent work!!
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Penguarky Tunguin
f n o r d

Registered: 08/08/04
Posts: 17,192
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Re: A Close Call [Re: ivi]
#5556997 - 04/25/06 11:35 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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-------------------- Every mistake, intentional or otherwise, in the above post, is the fault of the reader.
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theuser
DON'T LOOK

Registered: 08/04/05
Posts: 5,859
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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Re: A Close Call [Re: gregorio]
#5556998 - 04/25/06 11:35 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Both site and pic bookmarked for my next trip. 
Imagine how much energy is in that thick ass bolt!
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PurpleKush
Rational Lunatic


Registered: 03/20/06
Posts: 3,421
Loc: Above The Law
Last seen: 3 years, 10 months
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Re: A Close Call [Re: theuser]
#5557676 - 04/26/06 06:24 AM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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in one night i saw lightning strike within a hundred feet of me three times, once in my yard at home, once while driving, and once at my friends house. ive always wanted to try to take pics of lightning i just havent ever tried.
cool pic
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