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

In summary, during an intense lightning storm, the speaker witnessed ordinary lightning followed by their entire front yard being filled with evenly spaced, vertical lines. They were unable to investigate further due to having to evacuate. The speaker wondered if this was related to the wireless fence on their property, and after researching, came to the conclusion that it could be magnetism, which birds can see due to a substance in their retina. Another person commented that they had seen a similar phenomenon on a TV program, but it may have been exaggerated. The conversation also touched on the size and appearance of lightning branches, with one person sharing a personal experience of a close strike.
  • #1
Marie Fecher
2
0
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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  • #2
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.
 
  • #3
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?
 
  • #4
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)
 
  • #5
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...

 
  • #6
Lightning branches -- how small do the branches get? Is lightning "fuzzy"?
 
  • #7
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
 

1. What is visible magnetism?

Visible magnetism refers to the phenomenon where magnetic fields can be seen with the naked eye. This usually occurs when a strong magnetic field interacts with particles in the air, causing them to align and become visible.

2. How is visible magnetism different from regular magnetism?

Regular magnetism refers to the force exerted by magnets on other objects, while visible magnetism refers to the physical manifestation of this force through the alignment of particles in the air. In other words, visible magnetism is a visible effect of regular magnetism.

3. What causes visible magnetism to occur after a lightning strike?

Visible magnetism can occur after a lightning strike because lightning bolts are associated with strong electric currents, which in turn create strong magnetic fields. These magnetic fields can interact with particles in the air, causing them to align and become visible.

4. Is visible magnetism dangerous?

No, visible magnetism is not dangerous. It is simply a visual effect of the interaction between magnetic fields and particles in the air. However, it is important to stay away from lightning strikes and strong magnetic fields, which can be dangerous.

5. Can visible magnetism be harnessed for practical purposes?

While visible magnetism itself cannot be harnessed for practical purposes, the underlying magnetic fields can be harnessed for various applications such as electricity generation, medical imaging, and data storage. Scientists continue to study and explore the potential uses of magnetic fields in various fields.

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