Almost being struck by lightning?

[Maggie Kahman]

One night, I was filming a storm with lots of CGs during our schools annual Lock-in. I had stuck my head out the door to film some more, when i caught this HUGE CG. I think i might have almost gotten struck (had it have been under different conditions). Here is why. The first one i think is stepped leader. At first i thought it was maybe light from the bolt messing with my camera lens. I guess Id better tell you this is what i saw first, the bolt hit a fraction of a second later.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/1910196200_eed3fb4e56_o.jpg


This one is obviously where the bolt hit. You can actually see where it hit the ground. Also, you can see the reflection of the bolt off the wet sidewalk.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/1909359229_95a22acc72_o.jpg


This is another bolt from the same storm. I like this one.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/1910286836_cdcdb7387d_o.jpg


Distance? Well, judging from the time it took to hear thunder, Im guessing about 1/4 mile (first pic). Or, I had just enough time to say "WHOA!!!!". Second one, was about--oh, 4 or 5 miles. Then again i could be wrong. Im horrible at judging distance.


What do you guys think?

 

[Bob Schafer]

Heya, Mags,

We've had some previous discussions on here about that phemonena in the first pic. It's no fault of yours that you weren't aware of that, but anyway...

I don't remember what it's called, and I'm sure someone else will chime in about it, but it's a refraction within the camera of some sort. I had the same thing happen to me this summer. I captured a great bolt of lightning that was only a couple blocks from me. When I got home and did frame-by-frame to do vidcaps, one frame had the lightning bolt coming out from right under my truck!

I can't tell from comparing the first pic to the second pic, because the second pic is so bright, but if you have a way to see another shot of the bolt in the second pic, I bet you'll see that it has the exact same contour as the bolt in the first one.