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Crown Flash - a rare but observed phenomenon involving "The brightening of a thunderhead crown followed by the appearance of aurora-like streamers emanating into the clear atmosphere" <ref>{{cite book|last1=Corliss|first1=William|title=Lightning, Auroras, Nocturnal Lights, and Related Luminous Phenomena: A Catalog of Geophysical Anomalies|date=1982|isbn=978-0915554096}}</ref>. The current hypothesis is that sunlight is reflecting off or refracting through tiny ice crystals above the crown of a cumulonimbus cloud. These ice crystals are aligned by the strong electro-magnetic effects around the cloud <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Vonnegut|first1=B|title=Orientation of Ice Crystals in the electric field of a Thunderstorm|journal=Weather|date=1965|volume=20|issue=10|pages=310-312|url=http://amasci.com/amateur/vonngt_1965.txt}}</ref>, so the effect may appear as a tall streamer or pillar of light. When the electro-magnetic field is disturbed by lightning flashes within the cloud, the ice crystals are re-orientated causing the light pattern to shift very rapidly and appear to 'dance' in a strikingly mechanical fashion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forgetomori.com/2011/science/a-new-natural-phenomenon-crown-flash/|accessdate=2015-09-03|title=A New Natural Phenomenon - Crown Flash}}</ref>. The effect may also sometimes known as a "leaping sundog". As with sundogs, the observer would have to be in a specific position to see the effect, which is not a self-generated light such as seen in a lightning strike, but rather a changing reflection of the sunlight.
Crown Flash - a rare but observed phenomenon involving "The brightening of a thunderhead crown followed by the appearance of aurora-like streamers emanating into the clear atmosphere" <ref>{{cite book|last1=Corliss|first1=William|title=Lightning, Auroras, Nocturnal Lights, and Related Luminous Phenomena: A Catalog of Geophysical Anomalies|date=1982|isbn=978-0915554096}}</ref>. The current hypothesis is that sunlight is reflecting off or refracting through tiny ice crystals above the crown of a cumulonimbus cloud. These ice crystals are aligned by the strong electro-magnetic effects around the cloud <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Vonnegut|first1=B|title=Orientation of Ice Crystals in the electric field of a Thunderstorm|journal=Weather|date=1965|volume=20|issue=10|pages=310-312|url=http://amasci.com/amateur/vonngt_1965.txt}}</ref>, so the effect may appear as a tall streamer or pillar of light. When the electro-magnetic field is disturbed by lightning flashes within the cloud, the ice crystals are re-orientated causing the light pattern to shift very rapidly and appear to 'dance' in a strikingly mechanical fashion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forgetomori.com/2011/science/a-new-natural-phenomenon-crown-flash/|accessdate=2015-09-03|title=A New Natural Phenomenon - Crown Flash}}</ref>. The effect may also sometimes known as a "leaping sundog". As with sundogs, the observer would have to be in a specific position to see the effect, which is not a self-generated light such as seen in a lightning strike, but rather a changing reflection/refraction of the sunlight.


Mentioned in Nature in 1971<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Graves|first1=Maurice E.|last2=Gall|first2=John C.|last3=Vonnegut|first3=Bernard|title=Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash|journal=Nature|date=1971|volume=231|issue=5300|page=258}}</ref> and in a letter to Nature slightly earlier in the same year<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Graves|first1=Maurice E|last2=Gall|first2=John C|title=Possible Newly Recognized Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash|journal=Nature|date=1971|volume=229|page=184-185}}</ref>, this phenomenon is regarded as rare and not well documented. Recently several Youtube videos have emerged that appear to document this phenomenon<ref>{{cite web|title=Youtube Playlist of Crown Flashes|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS8LbL7GIZiDcEf_E4GWRwKbx3fIFpW0p|accessdate=03/09/2015}}</ref>
Mentioned in Nature in 1971<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Graves|first1=Maurice E.|last2=Gall|first2=John C.|last3=Vonnegut|first3=Bernard|title=Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash|journal=Nature|date=1971|volume=231|issue=5300|page=258}}</ref> and in a letter to Nature slightly earlier in the same year<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Graves|first1=Maurice E|last2=Gall|first2=John C|title=Possible Newly Recognized Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash|journal=Nature|date=1971|volume=229|page=184-185}}</ref>, this phenomenon is regarded as rare and not well documented. Recently several Youtube videos have emerged that appear to document this phenomenon<ref>{{cite web|title=Youtube Playlist of Crown Flashes|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS8LbL7GIZiDcEf_E4GWRwKbx3fIFpW0p|accessdate=03/09/2015}}</ref>

Revision as of 11:59, 3 September 2015

Crown Flash - a rare but observed phenomenon involving "The brightening of a thunderhead crown followed by the appearance of aurora-like streamers emanating into the clear atmosphere" [1]. The current hypothesis is that sunlight is reflecting off or refracting through tiny ice crystals above the crown of a cumulonimbus cloud. These ice crystals are aligned by the strong electro-magnetic effects around the cloud [2], so the effect may appear as a tall streamer or pillar of light. When the electro-magnetic field is disturbed by lightning flashes within the cloud, the ice crystals are re-orientated causing the light pattern to shift very rapidly and appear to 'dance' in a strikingly mechanical fashion[3]. The effect may also sometimes known as a "leaping sundog". As with sundogs, the observer would have to be in a specific position to see the effect, which is not a self-generated light such as seen in a lightning strike, but rather a changing reflection/refraction of the sunlight.

Mentioned in Nature in 1971[4] and in a letter to Nature slightly earlier in the same year[5], this phenomenon is regarded as rare and not well documented. Recently several Youtube videos have emerged that appear to document this phenomenon[6]

References

  1. ^ Corliss, William (1982). Lightning, Auroras, Nocturnal Lights, and Related Luminous Phenomena: A Catalog of Geophysical Anomalies. ISBN 978-0915554096.
  2. ^ Vonnegut, B (1965). "Orientation of Ice Crystals in the electric field of a Thunderstorm". Weather. 20 (10): 310–312.
  3. ^ "A New Natural Phenomenon - Crown Flash". Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  4. ^ Graves, Maurice E.; Gall, John C.; Vonnegut, Bernard (1971). "Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash". Nature. 231 (5300): 258.
  5. ^ Graves, Maurice E; Gall, John C (1971). "Possible Newly Recognized Meteorological Phenomenon called Crown Flash". Nature. 229: 184-185.
  6. ^ "Youtube Playlist of Crown Flashes". Retrieved 03/09/2015. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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