Visible magnetism? Or what? (right after a very close lightning strike)

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During a lightning storm, a user observed fine vertical lines in their yard, possibly related to magnetism or an optical effect from lightning. The lines were evenly spaced, with a distance of about a foot between them. The discussion also touched on the concept of birds perceiving magnetic fields visually, suggesting a potential link to the phenomenon witnessed. Participants speculated on various explanations, including debris from a lightning strike and the visual representation of magnetic fields.

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Marie Fecher
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During an intense lightning storm which led to a tornado warning, I saw something in my yard which no one has yet explained. There was ordinary lightning near the ground about 30 feet away. Then I saw the whole front yard filled with fine vertical lines, evenly spaced, maybe a foot or less between them. No sound or feeling of shock or tingling. I couldn't stop to look closer, having to evacuate self and animals. I wonder if it was related to the wireless fence around the property? After reading a lot about lightning, I began to think it was magnetism, which some birds can see due to a substance in the retina. Any serious comments would be welcome.
 
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I've never heard of such a thing, but that doesn't mean much I suppose. Can you tell us more about these lines? What exactly did they look like? Hard and well defined? Soft and "fuzzy"? Dark or light? How far up did they seem to go? Etc.
 
It's difficult to remember things under conditions like that. It could have been just an optical effect from viewing the lightning through a glass window?
 
Marie Fecher said:
magnetism, which some birds can see due to a substance in the retina.
I remember hearing of this on a TV programme. I understood that the 'visual' aspect of the magnetic field was more like an awareness (presented visually) of the gradient / direction of the field than seeing the field at another location. I remember the visual I saw implied the equivalent to a (false) colour gradient over the visual field. It was only a brief item that I saw in a programme about animal migration. (Always suspect anything on TV -even the News)
 
Marie Fecher said:
There was ordinary lightning near the ground about 30 feet away. Then I saw the whole front yard filled with fine vertical lines, evenly spaced, maybe a foot or less between them.
Welcome to the PF.

I'm very glad you were not hurt. Could it have been small flaming bits of debris kicked up by the ground strike? Or maybe from hitting a tree or bush?

In a number of the clips in this video, you can see small flaming bits of debris...

 
Lightning branches -- how small do the branches get? Is lightning "fuzzy"?
 
russ_watters said:
Lightning branches -- how small do the branches get? Is lightning "fuzzy"?

very small and still reasonably sharp ... am at work at present will post a pic of a very close strike to me some years back
looked like I was standing under a big set of tree roots

ohhh ... may be on my storm images page ... will go look

edit found it

041219%20cntrl%20coast%20(1040)a1.jpg


much too close for comfort ... that building was around 50 metres away
 

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