RE: Ball lightning, very close hit

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Anthony R. Mollner" <penny831@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

This ball lightning thing seems to be pretty popular on the list. It just
keeps going on.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 6:43 PM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Ball lightning, very close hit


Original poster: Mike <megavolts61@xxxxxxxxx>

Well, the quartzite could certainly be a factor in the
phenomena.   Quartz is a piezoelectric crystal and if there was
lightning strikes in the vicinity,  the quartz could get thrown into
some kind of resonance, both mechanically and electrically.  Mix that
with the RF field from the radio antenna and I can imagine an
interference pattern would result, with 'ripples' and the v-shaped
guy wires might simply be at just the right spot to focus the mixed
field and ionize surrounding air.  The guy wires would certainly be
inductively coupled to the antenna.  Of course this is all
speculation on my part.  lol
Mike



I've watched it for nearly 20 minutes one summer evening.  It formed
under the V-shaped support wires to a large radio tower.  The tower
was anchored in quartzite.  After building in size under the v-shaped
grounded support wires, it would detach and move downward and outward
into the air, usually existing for 15-30 seconds before
"popping".  Some exploded with a barely audible pop and some exploded
like a firecracker.  Later we noted a large pile of leaves that were
attracted to the base of the tower suggesting electrostatics in
play.  A powerful thunderstorm followed about 10 minutes later.

No doubt in my mind --- it's a real physical phenomonena.  I suspect
it's an electrostatics related effect.

Dr. Resonance


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