Watch this huge electrical fireball from Canada


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Watch this video of this huge electrical fireball in Canada.

 

Quoted from Gawker.com

Last night, a huge wind storm knocked out power lines in Lachine, a suburb of Montreal. This amazing video captures an electrical fireball traveling down power lines outside of some very luck (to survive) person's home.

 

 

 

 

http://gawker.com/huge-electrical-fireball-in-montreal-after-wind-knocks-1457390143

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This must have been frightening to watch this. The big thing of fire traveling up the power line was like something you see in movies

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Anyone care to explain how exactly this happens? Actual ball lightning? Jacob's Ladder? Also, why did the short circuit kept going for so long (power wasn't cut from the line)?

The phenomenon remains unexplained to this day. It's a very rare one. I myself have never witnessed a ball lightning in my life.

 

And I'm not sure if you know what a short circuit really is.

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How do you think Americans figured out there was such a thing, and learned how to use it, lol.

I didn't know that Canada even had electricity.

 

/s

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The phenomenon remains unexplained to this day. It's a very rare one. I myself have never witnessed a ball lightning in my life.

 

And I'm not sure if you know what a short circuit really is.

 

Before I respond, please give me a moment to bask in the radiance of your infinite wisdom...

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Before I respond, please give me a moment to bask in the radiance of your infinite wisdom...

A short circuit can go as long as it wants depending on the material of the conductor and the current value. You can short circuit some devices for like half a minute and they'll still work no problem. Then again I'm not sure what you're asking and what short circuit are you talking about...

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Let's start again - is that a confirmed event of ball lightning? If so, I fully accept that currently there's no definite explanation, certainly none that could be easily explained in several sentences and there's no point in trying where scientific community has not succeeded much so many times.

On the other hand, if not, then is it just the much more common flash that happens when either wind or something else moves phase and neutral wires of very high voltage lines close enough for air in between to breakdown or very near lightning strike (presumably, but not necessarily, including ball lightning) by itself opening the near-zero resistance pathway?

If so, to the best of my understanding unintentionally connected phase and neutral without little or no load appears to be the textbook definition of a short circuit. In which case, current sharply rises, often but not always, to a damaging extent, until a breaker goes off and disrupts the circuit, any part of circuit stops functioning due to mentioned damage or limitations of the power supply cause voltage to drop below the amount that allows the arc to sustain itself.

If the latter happens (and nothing else) and this arc disappears, current and voltage return to normal, which may allow the arc to reappear nearby where circumstances are still favorable and then travel along the conductors thus forming the so called Jacob's ladder, but instead of air rising upwards by itself air presumably being moved horizontally by the wind.

 

And if it isn't any of that, then what is it?

Now, I am not well versed in electrical systems and physics in general, but I believe I may have at least grade school understanding or at least a will to attain such to my limited capacity. If you (or anyone) happens to be equal actual or better, please, if possible, point out my mistakes instead of brushing aside. That way you prove (rather than uselessly imply) understanding of subject and, importantly, display good forum culture. Lest I return the sentiment with much more contempt than I already did in my post above.

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