Small bright moving light

Okay, I've never seen any ufos or aliens or anything odd like that, but I did see something interesting two nights ago that maybe someone can explain.

Right behind my apartments is a small park with just a few little trees. Its probably about 2 acres in size. I live on the third floor, and I was standing on the balcony watching a nice lighting storm south of where I was. My balcony faces south and is right up against the park. I was just thinking about the all the noise that the frogs in a small drain ditch were making, when I saw this moving light below me. It was moving away from the apartment building and at first I thougt it was a firefly (lighting bug, ect). Then I noticed that the bightness more than doubled, and I thought "Wow! that's too bright to be a firefly". The light grew brighter and brighter, and the brighter it grew, the faster it moved. Just as it was getting bright enough to start lighting up the ground below it...*poof* it just dissappeared. This happened really quickly. I would say that it was only visible for 3-4 seconds, but still, really odd.

I have no Idea what this was. I would say that it was some effect from the nearby storm, but why would the speed of the light accellerate? Any thoughts?

Sounds like Ball Lightning.

Google Search on Ball Lightning



[Edited on 5-3-2004 by Preest]

Could it be that you saw the phenomenon 'ball lightning'?
Did it pass through the fence? What kind of fence is it?

A metal fence should have grounded the charge if it was lightning. Hmmm.

EDIT: Dang, too slow on the typing there!



[Edited on 3-5-2004 by Zzub]

Originally posted by Zzub
Could it be that you saw the phenomenon 'ball lightning'?
Did it pass through the fence? What kind of fence is it?

A metal fence should have grounded the charge if it was lightning. Hmmm.

The fence in the image is a metal bar fence, about 6 feet high. I was on the 3rd floor looking down at the light, and it caught my eye just before it reached the fence area so I hadn't quite focused on it yet. I think it was a little above the fence, but not 100% sure.

How would you describe the color of this moving light?

Originally posted by Bangin
How would you describe the color of this moving light?

I guess I would just say it was yellow - white, but mainly white. The brighter it got the more white it looked.

I read some of the links on ball lightning, and that does seem to describe it. Shouldn't there be a noise with it if it was lightning?

I asked that question because I expected it to look much differently than the ball lightning pictured here.




Picture will not open.

Correct. It doesn't look like the picture you linked to. It was closer to this one

And just before it dissapeared it looked more like



[Edited on 3-5-2004 by dbates]

[Edited on 3-5-2004 by dbates]

I would have thought a metal fence would ground the lightning. However, it's apparent that ball lightning does not behave like regular lightning, so it may not be 'seeking earth' as normal lightining would be expected to do.

I've seen experiments with large voltages which produced sparks that would roam for a few seconds, but I've never seen anythinkg like the stories of ball lightning, passing through houses, etc. If it was ball lightning, count yourself very lucky to have seen it!

He he, I recognize the photoshop lens flare in that picture above

Did it make any noise?

[Edited on 3-5-2004 by Zzub]

Originally posted by Zzub

If it was ball lightning, count yourself very lucky to have seen it!

Did it make any noise?

[Edited on 3-5-2004 by Zzub]

I guess these things are rare. It appears now that that is what it was. I was on the edge of the storm, just out of the rain, and the regular lightning in the storm was putting on an excellent light show. This little light however stole the show. It was just odd the way if floated across the field and then got brighter and dissappeared without a sound. Didn't make any noise at all.

dbates,

I'd like to know your location if possible as I collect BL sightings like yours. When did it occur?

Ern
www.ernmphotography.com...

I experienced something similar, which phased in and out as it traveled. Started a thread on it:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Mine didn't go up, though, and didn't happen durring a storm, though. So they could be 2 totally different things. There is also a movie, crOp Circles, which has video footage of something very similar to what I saw, a light which blinked in and out as it traveled, and was inconsistant in it's timing and speed.

Originally posted by junglejake
There is also a movie, crOp Circles, which has video footage of something very similar to what I saw, a light which blinked in and out as it traveled, and was inconsistant in it's timing and speed.

Wasn't this proven fake?


Anyway; that sounds like a very intriguing sighting dbates.
Think there could be any connection to the orbs and streamers of rendlesham forest? Could you describe it more, possibly compsaring to other objects; stars, torches etc.

Originally posted by Ern
dbates,

I'd like to know your location if possible as I collect BL sightings like yours. When did it occur?

Ern
www.ernmphotography.com...

Re: Ball Lightning sounds.

From Mark Stenhoffs book 'Ball Lightning - An Unsolved Problem in Atmosperic Physics'.

' Only a few observers report sounds associated with ball lightning other than at it's formation or decay; these witnesses describe hissing, buzzing, or fluttering sounds (Brand 1923). [ Of 108 reports, (Rayle 1966) found that 23% reported sound, but it was not clear whether this should exclude sound on decay.] Most reports of ball lightning state that the decay was silent, but in some reports the decay is described as explosive. Of 78 reports, 69% described silent decay and 31% explosive decay (Rayle 1966). '
.