Neat cloud phenomenon
A really, really neat phenomenon that I'd never heard of (or seen) before - it's not camera trickery.
Watch the light colored cloud wisp in the center of the freme ...
via Bad Astronomy. Read the what-it-is description there. Short version is that long ice needles can hold a static charge and thus will align with a electric field; when the field changes suddenly (lightning discharge?) the orientation of the needles changes in step with the changing field.
More info (and videos) here.
Oh, and more of the original cloud shown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJokSDCSePQ
Watch the light colored cloud wisp in the center of the freme ...
via Bad Astronomy. Read the what-it-is description there. Short version is that long ice needles can hold a static charge and thus will align with a electric field; when the field changes suddenly (lightning discharge?) the orientation of the needles changes in step with the changing field.
More info (and videos) here.
Oh, and more of the original cloud shown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJokSDCSePQ
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