A Strange Streak Imaged in Australia
Credit & Copyright:
Wayne Pryde
Meteor experts don't think it's a
meteor.
Atmospheric scientists don't think it's
lightning.
The photographer insists that the streak and
flash on the above image has not been created digitally.
So what is it? Nobody is sure.
APOD's editors do not claim to know - one purpose of
posting this image is to mine the eclectic brain trust of
APOD's readers to help see if some unusual phenomenon was caught serendipitously.
The strange features were captured on a series of
images intended to monitor cloud changes in the background.
Images taken just
before and
after the above frame
show no streak or flash.
The light pole near the flash has been inspected and
does not show any damage, although the light inside was not working.
If you think you know what is going on, instead of sending us email
please participate in an
online discussion.
If a convincing argument or consensus is reached, the answer
will be posted on APOD at a later date.