Mysterious lightning-like phenomenon spotted from cockpit

• A video of St. Elmo’s fire has gone viral.
• The video was taken by pilots at MacDill Air Force Base.
• St. Elmo’s fire is a rare weather phenomenon.

A video of a rare weather phenomenon called St. Elmo’s fire has gone viral. The video, which was posted by MacDill Air Force Base on X (formerly known as Twitter), shows flashes of light appearing across the sky.

The phenomenon occurred as the base was being evacuated ahead of Hurricane Idalia.

St. Elmo’s fire is a type of plasma discharge that is created by a strong electric field. It is often seen on the tips of objects, such as aircraft, ships, and masts.

The light from St. Elmo’s fire is caused by the ionization of air molecules.

The video of St. Elmo’s fire at MacDill Air Force Base has captured the attention of people around the world. It is a reminder of the power of nature and the beauty of the natural world.

“All aircraft on the installation have been evacuated/secured in preparation for #HurricaneIdalia. During the evacuation, the 50th ARS recorded St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field,” reads the caption posted along with the video.

St. Elmo’s fire is a natural phenomenon that is often mistaken for lightning. It is caused by a strong electric field, and it can appear as a bluish glow on the tips of objects, such as aircraft wings, masts, and church steeples.

The name “St. Elmo’s Fire” comes from the Italian saint Erasmus, who was the patron saint of sailors. Sailors believed that St. Elmo’s fire was a sign of his protection, and they often saw it as a good omen.

St. Elmo’s fire is not harmful, but it can be a sign of dangerous weather conditions. If you see St. Elmo’s fire, it is a good idea to take shelter from the storm.

“Within a storm cloud, friction can build up to produce extra electrons, creating an electric field that can reach to the ground. If that field is strong enough, it can break apart surrounding air molecules, turning neutral air into a charged gas, or plasma. This process most often occurs around sharp, conductive objects such as cell towers and wing tips, as these pointed structures tend to concentrate the electric field in a way that electrons are pulled from surrounding air molecules toward the pointed structures, leaving behind a veil of positively charged plasma immediately around the sharp object,” the article added.

Why is it called St. Elmo’s fire?

Sailors have observed this phenomenon for centuries and named it after Erasmus of Formia, the Christian saint of sailors. They believed that St. Elmo’s fire was a sign of his protection, and they often saw it as a good omen.

What does the video show?

The video, taken from inside a cockpit, shows the pitch-black night sky at first. Then, bluish-violet flashes appear across the sky. The sound of heavy rain accompanying the lightning-like flashes makes the video even more fascinating to watch.

Take a look at this video of St. Elmo’s fire:

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All aircraft on the installation have been evacuated/secured in preparation for #HurricaneIdalia . During the evacuation, the 50th ARS recorded St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field. pic.twitter.com/tqUGhfm8iN

— MacDill AFB (@MacDill_AFB) August 29, 2023

The video was posted on August 30 and has since been viewed over 940,000 times. It has also received over 6,200 likes. People have posted a variety of comments in response to the video, expressing their amazement, curiosity, and fear.

“Amazing, is this coming off the aircraft’s windshield wipers or is it out in the far distance?” asked an X user. “That’s wild,” added another. “Looks like a Tesla coil arc,” joined a third. “The lightning is dancing,” commented a fourth. “Not what you want to see from the cockpit, glad everyone is safe,” wrote a fifth.

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