Lightning strike. Featured

You're thinking of solar wind particles. High energy cosmic rays are millions of times more energetic than those, and are not deflected significantly by the Earthe's magnetic field. Most biff into an atmosphere molecule at some altitude and produce showers of secondaries, many of which reach Earth.

Different definitions? "Cosmic rays" covers an enormous range of energies and sources, from solar eruptions through supernovae to more exotic sources (of which I know nought). The ultra-high energy laugh at the Earth's magnetic field but the overall flux does vary with latitude.

It seems quite unlikely. Our VH has taken the odd hit and whilst it takes out the mains for a while the emergency lights survive OK.

A building I was in at work took a big direct hit that found its way into the internal telephone network deafening the lady on the switchboard who was unconsolable afterwards (as in it took about a day to recover her hearing) .

Vapourised the phone cabling in the trunking leaving nasty black marks on the wall. We felt very aggrieved that the strike hit our apex rather than the much higher supergrid pylon 100m away. Capricious stuff is lightning. It was one of those big industrial sheds with a metal roof.

Induced currents blew out some of the more delicate parts of the mainframe interface boards whilst the surge suppressors saved themselves by allowing other more delicate (ie. expensive) components to fry.

Once the damage was assessed we were back on mains power fairly quickly. Emergency diesel generator cut in for critical systems as the mains went down. Smelly noisy thing but at least it worked on the day! Internal phone system was down for most of a week - complete rewire needed.

I have had modems killed by close lightning strikes but that is about it. You can't rule it out but it must be very unlikely. Most times the UPS or emergency backup power maintains full operation.

You would have to be very unlucky for it to damage mains wiring but if it does then the huge currents involved can be very destructive.

A friend had a similar lightning strike but not sure if it was via the TV aerial which was damaged the connector was blown off and the pin ended up about 3ft away and it was hot so burnt the carpet. About 6 or so other peolpe were affected but it seems that the bolt hit a virgin media it a cable box in the street. Most of the TiVo went faulty my friends the HDHI lead soldered itself into the cable box. The lightning took out their TV , DVD player, cable box and seemed to have damaged the bluetooth in their iMac as it was no longer found , but why it didn;t do the iMac too I don't know I have some pictures I took of the damaged equipment somewhere , I'll try to find them tonight if I remmeber

Yes - I can readily see all that happening. But the story teller was very definite about it being a TV aerial strike. And that being on a DA. Which then jumped into the mains and destroyed all of that. And in a couple of neighbouring houses too.

I'd have expected a major strike to have cause a fire, or structural damage first.

Lucky I have only two then.

It was instinctive, no thought involved I can tell you, no time for that. I imagine it was because it was raining torrentially at the time.

This was some years back. Two close calls are enough for one life I feel, but one day I guess you run out of luck.

I do live on the top of a hill. Brian

So who is going to design a cosmic ray detector we can build ourselves in the garden? Brian

I tell you what ask somebody who lives in one of the Welsh villages that used to be near collieries and see what answer you get! I used to work for a tv repair company and the state of some of the pcbs was terrible big charred holes etc, and these were valve sets, and they often survived better than a modern one would. Brian

Sorry Brian, my ignorance of electronics is so near to immaculate I can't help with one for you. But for sighted people it can be easily with a DIY cloud chamber if you can buy dry ice and isopropyl alcohol. Video at CERN link below.

I've read of people doing it without dry ice by evaporative cooling but can't speak to that.

https://home.cern/news/news/experiments/how-make-your-own-cloud-chamber

You often can't tell whether the lightning hit the aerial or the nearby masonry. I've been to a lot of these.

Bill

A strike on a building or its aerial usually causes some structural damage.

Bill

The thing is how do you know which direction it went to and from. The aerial lead was damaged the lead blew out of the back of the TV. The aerial cable seemd OK but teh screen seemed chard and a bit brittle but still worked. The fuse in a mains plug vapourised, the HDMI lead to the DVD player 'soldered' itself to the curcuit board. But no one saw the TV aerial get hit, but it was reproted that someone saw lighting hit the virgin media box in the street, I heard the crack of lightening which was about 1/2 mile away. I remmeber it because it didn't make the same sound as I normally hear from thinder/lightning. Don;t forget that loightning can be postive or negative.

But would hitting the house structure cause so much electrical damage to it and the surrounding ones?

Quite - I've seen a house burnt out after an lightening strike.

I, too, have seen that, but the house did have a thatched roof.

I've seen the following: Areas of brickwork damaged or missing (many times) Chimney pots cracked or destroyed (many times) Lead flashing perforated or vaporised Sections of ridge tile damaged or missing Iron fallpipe loose on wall Gulley cover missing presumed vaporised Grittall window frame scorched and distorted, some of the glass broken Hole in the drive approx 24" wide and 18" deep Petrol mower in the shed rendered inoperable; turned out the electrics were damaged, no other shed damage visible

Bill

Typically it'll be obvious where the strike was; could be anywhere. Nearby downleads will be melted, masthead amps burnt out. Sometimes the aerial itself will look OK but the balun with be gone.

Bill

Yes - what I'd expect. What I'm not convinced about is an aerial strike travelling to other houses and doing severe damage there.

IIRC, lightning strikes are not necessarily simple - the single "strike" we tend count may well involve many related current paths at the same time over some area, just depending on how the event manifests. Thus the biggest and most obvious burn mark isn't necessarily the only one.

#Paul