Re: BIG Spark (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 09:08:03 -0500
From: Dr. Resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: BIG Spark (fwd)


That's an amazing spark.  Good thing your home wasn't at the end of it!

For long sparks the potential difference is approx 3 x 10^5 Volts/meter
which works out to 483 x 10^6 Volts/mile of spark length.  The average cloud
charge is 15 Coulombs which works out to 0.214 MFD capacitance.  That's 524
megaJoules of stored energy per shot! (data from Martin Uman's book on
lightning).

Dr. Resonance

Resonance Research Corporation
E11870 Shadylane Rd.
Baraboo   WI   53913

> A little while ago we had quite a thunderstorm move through. There was
quite a bit of lightning so I set up my digital camera underneath a friends
porch. I was basically relying on luck, just setting the camera for an 8
second exposure and hoping that something would strike during that time.
After a while, I finally got a good one. Here it is in case any of you are
interested.
> http://hot-streamer.com/temp/P8210037.JPG