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From: hyc@math.lsa.umich.edu (Howard Chu)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: New Year's Eve idiocy - an eyewitness report
Message-ID: <1991Jan10.083320.17381@math.lsa.umich.edu>
Date: 10 Jan 91 08:33:20 GMT
References: <4655@wrgate.WR.TEK.COM> <1991Jan9.200754.8857@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
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Organization: University of Michigan Math Dept., Ann Arbor
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In article <1991Jan9.200754.8857@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> eacj@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Julian Vrieslander) writes:
>In article <4655@wrgate.WR.TEK.COM> jeffw@midas.WR.TEK.COM (Jeff Winslow) writes:
>>New Year's Eve brought the usual assortment of firecrackers, skyrockets,
>>M-80s (I guess - bright and LOUD), and so forth. As I was enjoying the show
>>(and giving thanks I live a good mile away from the jokers with the M-80s), 
>>I was startled by a green flash from a nearby substation. This thing was
>>BRIGHT - so bright it effectively washed out all other lights for dozens of
>>blocks on either side. The flash itself appeared to be about a half a city
>>block wide. There were two of them, about 10 seconds apart. And funny thing -
>>a lot of people's lights went out. :-)  Anyway, at the time I assumed some

I saw something like this last summer during a storm. Wasn't particularly dark,
plenty of daylight, but the blue flash from this substation was quite amazing.
This happened as we were driving past the substation, on a somewhat remote
rural road. It looked like a Star Trek style explosion, the substation was
about 50 feet from the road but the "flash" appeared to be a glowing blue cloud
that reached well across the other side of the road. Only lasted for a second
or so. A semi w/trailer was driving the opposite direction when it happened,
I think he was just approaching when the flash occurred. We saw him pull off
the road as we drove away. 
--
  -- Howard Chu @ University of Michigan

Flame all you want - we'll take more.