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General Weather/Earth Sciences Topics => Lightning => Topic started by: miraculon on July 11, 2019, 08:56:59 AM

Title: Red lightning
Post by: miraculon on July 11, 2019, 08:56:59 AM

Last evening, I saw a reddish lightning bolt over Lake Huron. I have seen this before, but it is unusual and most strikes are the brilliant white as expected.

I am not referring to Sprites, which most searches come up with for red lightning.

I saw one explanation of dust causing the tinge, but I doubt this. The very next stroke was blue-white. If it were dust, I would expect to see them all with a tint.

I suspect that it is some kind of variation in the plasma due to voltage or current.

This thread on Yahoo (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110726170631AAGx4tF) has some posters suggesting that it is related to the temperature of the stroke.

Anyone have any authoritative info on this?

Greg H.

Title: Re: Red lightning
Post by: WeatherHost on July 11, 2019, 10:30:50 AM

No two bolts are close enough to each other to be able to compare atmosphere between you and them visually.  My guess may be a rain shaft obscured part of one.  Or it could just be that one was much farther away.

Title: Re: Red lightning
Post by: ocala on July 12, 2019, 05:36:52 AM

I would also suggest far away.