I live about two blocks away. The lights dimmed and one of our breakers flipped. Then it got bad. My phone suddenly lit up, brighter than the night's electric blue sky, as everyone I've ever known called and texted to ask about what was going on. Nothing interesting. Astoria is a pretty great neighborhood tho. We have a 24-hour fruit market next to another 24-hour fruit market.
What's the difference between the fruit stores? Is one better than the other or are they not directly comparable?
New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
61–70 of 173 posts
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#62Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#63Why don't I ever get to see wild stuff in person? Immediately reminded me of 'the Norway spiral'
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/01/20/up...
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#64Living in Astoria, NY and this happened a mile away from me.
At first my TV blips, my spotify shuts down and outside you could see this very bright turquoise light all over the place. It was bright like it was a daytime just in the green blue color. At first I thought it must had been some fireworks nearby, New Year is coming, right? But there was no fireworks noise, no party noise, nothing, just this bright green lit city. I open the window and some lady in the building across me does the same and shouts 'wtf is that?!'.
I realize this was not a party and my brain starts spinning..
1. EMP attack, since the TV got affected 2. Asteroid or comet entering the atmosphere and messing up the magnetosphere 3. Strong solar outburst, causing some local aurora
I recently watched Robert Schoch's interview where he discussed huge solar outbursts at the end of last ice age and how the sightings of resulting auroras might have made it into ancient cultures.
[https://youtu.be/Vka2ZgzZTvo roughly at 21:00]
In the end I rushed to the rooftop, scared as f, and noticed this was just a transformer on fire at nearby power plant. Took a video, waited it out and went back.
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#65I have never seen a transformator explosion in Germany or Europe. What is different in the american power grid?
https://electrical-engineering-portal.com/north-american-ver...
This page has a good diagram showing the difference between US and EU distribution systems - how the US has many small transformers vs the EU having few large ones, and how US customers get three-wire single phase vs EU three-phase
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#66How dangerous is that light? I know welding arcs contain a lot of dangerous UV light for example. It should be fine indirectly (clouds would let the UV pass or absorb it), but directly being exposed to it seems dangerous.
A lot of transformers have some very nasty chemicals in them id be worried about that as well.
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#67Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the battle is lost, but I'm a little bit sad seeing the sky over a city being filmed in vertical video.
Though it makes sense if you're watching it on your phone maximised in its natural orientation.
Probably who records videos just pick up the phone, portrait mode, and start filming. No thoughts about the circumstances of watching it later on.
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#69Living in Astoria, NY and this happened a mile away from me. At first my TV blips, my spotify shuts down and outside you could see this very bright turquoise light all over the place. It was bright like it was a daytime just in the green blue color. At first I thought it must had been some fireworks nearby, New Year is coming, right? But there was no fireworks noise, no party noise, nothing, just this bright green li…
> In the end I rushed to the rooftop, scared as f
I'm glad that you were ok. I would probably have over-reacted by diving under the bed. The lesson that I took from the footage of the Chelyabinsk meteor (1) is this:
When people see a sudden bright light in the sky, the usual reaction is for them to go to the window to see what it is. So then the blast wave arrives in time to give them a face full of flying glass shards. (2)
Don't do this! Doesn't matter if you're being nuked or if it's only a meteor, get down and stay away from the windows! Nothing good will come of having a look-see.
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelyabinsk_meteor
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelyabinsk_meteor#Injuries_an...
Re: New York Sky Turns Bright Blue After Transformer Explosion
#70Someone with HV experience should probably know better, but I'm curious if the color is due to burning copper and/or aluminum. Copper salts used in fireworks burn at nearly this color.
The color fits copper very well. I don't know whether the white is due to an electrical arc or the burning of some magnesium alloy.