Night time flashes?

[pioneer0333]

I have been seeing a lot of flashes in the night sky lately. I think they are a type of aurora, but I'm not sure. I have ruled out any man made object such as a blown transformer because they are too frequent to be something like that. Does any one have any answers? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[pioneer0333]

They are always originating from the North all the way to the southeast. They don't really seem to come from the sky it self, but it does light up the most of the sky when ever it happens. The color is just a simple white light, sometimes a yellowish white. I usually see them around late night(11-2:00am typically). And they do seem to occur when the sky is at it's darkest. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

What is your location? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Sounds like what we used to call heat lightning, a misnomer. This is general sky flashes (even under clear but hazy skies) from distant thunderstorms. They can be hundreds of miles away.<br /><br />MW <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

And yes, your location would help. Then we can see how close the nearest thunderheads are (were). <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[pioneer0333]

Sorry it took so long! But my location is Memphis, TN. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

May be irridium flash.

 

[MeteorWayne]

No he said it lit up the whole sky.<br />Considering the US continental weather at the time he posted, I like my theory that it is distant lightning flashes lighting up the summertime haze in the sky. <br />This is a very common summertime phenomenon in the US. The actual thinderstorms can be a hundred miles away, much too far to hear any thunder.<br /><br />Meteor (and Meteorology) Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[pioneer0333]

That could be it, but I have never thought about the flash created by lightning. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Last night I had an opportunity to observe distant lightning. It was partly cloudy here and very hazy, with the brighter stars visible. There were two areas of thunderstorms "nearby" One cluster to the south about 35 miles away; it must have been a doozy because for an hour or so there were flashes lighting my sky several times a second. I think I could here the thunder as a continuous low rumble, but it was hard to tell since it's Katydid season here in NJ and they can be deafening (though I love the background when watching meteors. Makes my observation tapes very interesting). Sound travel time for these storms was about 3 minutes, and with the continuous lightning it was a continuous sound.<br />The other cluster was about 50 miles to the north, with much less frequent lightning; several per minute. Interestingly, this thunder I could hear better, maybe due to a temperature inversion, as distinct soft rumbles. Sound travel time about 4 1/2 minutes.<br />We received no rain or visible lightning strokes here.<br />So, the flashes that lit up the whole sky on a hazy night can be observed at least 50 miles away. I am sure that with tall thundrheads the flashes can light up the sky beyond where the sound can be heard, probably several hundred miles away. Currently under investigation <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />Thanks for bringing up this subject, I have always been planning to see how far away thunderstorms can be observed this way, and you have inspired me, Pioneer0333!<br />I will report on further observations as the distance is extended. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>