Dandelion Break What on Earth Is This?

[AgentPete]

So this is a genuine puzzle.

A wonderful late afternoon yesterday, just had to get away from the desk and the screen for a bit. Went up onto the West Hill, overlooking the Channel. Perfect weather, great visibility.

Looking towards the horizon, started to see an intermittent flashing. All along the horizon. A very quick brightening, then back to normal again. Watched it for several minutes, and eventually took this video:



You may need to watch the video on full screen just to reassure yourself that it’s not your eyesight, rapid eye movement, etc. I’ve looked at it blown up, in slow motion, and there really is something. But I have no idea what it is. I grew up next to the (North) sea but never saw a phenomenon like this.

Not sheet lightning. Not the “green flash”. Not clouds obscuring the sun.

Really, it felt like the matrix had developed a fault…

Any ideas?

 

[Jake E]

Thor decided on a trip to France?

 

[Bloo]

I actually can't see it in the vid. But I've seen something like what you explain in Ancol (North Jakarta). Indos call it Fata Morgana, from Portuguese I think. I guess it's a mirage in English. Distant vessels over the horizon are seen as light is bent over the Earth.

Some say it could mean a tsunami is on the way, cos the light refraction changes rapidly as the changing water level refocuses it.

I don't think a tsunami is heading your way, tho'. Maybe a cold front refocusing a bright sandy beach from the French side?

 

[JoanUP]

Could it be sunlight falling on the horizon, with passing clouds blocking it occasionally?

 

[James Charles]

So this is a genuine puzzle.

A wonderful late afternoon yesterday, just had to get away from the desk and the screen for a bit. Went up onto the West Hill, overlooking the Channel. Perfect weather, great visibility.

Looking towards the horizon, started to see an intermittent flashing. All along the horizon. A very quick brightening, then back to normal again. Watched it for several minutes, and eventually took this video:



You may need to watch the video on full screen just to reassure yourself that it’s not your eyesight, rapid eye movement, etc. I’ve looked at it blown up, in slow motion, and there really is something. But I have no idea what it is. I grew up next to the (North) sea but never saw a phenomenon like this.

Not sheet lightning. Not the “green flash”. Not clouds obscuring the sun.

Really, it felt like the matrix had developed a fault…

Any ideas?

Hummm. Don't see anything. Let's discuss in the Huddle, but lay off the sauce.

 

[Sarit]

A glitch in the simulation ;-)

 

[AgentPete]

Could it be sunlight falling on the horizon, with passing clouds blocking it occasionally?

No, the rate of flickering was much faster than transient cloud could create, also it extended over a large part (roughly 90 degrees) of the horizon. We were watching it for several minutes before I decided to pull out the camera.

 

[AgentPete]

Hummm. Don't see anything. Let's discuss in the Huddle, but lay off the sauce.

If you examine the final few frames of the video (full screen, frame by frame) you'll see it. Each flicker is really only one to five frames in duration, but there’s a clear initiation phase (build up) “discharge” and then cool down. It happens so quickly that initially I thought it was some artefact of rapid eye movement, but it’s on camera too.

Maybe mariners have seen something similar?

 

[Aethalope]

We see something similar at night, although with an orange tint, and it's when they're flaring gas on the offshore rigs or onshore gas terminals. The clouds reflect the light back down to the sea surface.

I don't suppose the English Channel has any notable fossil fuel extraction activities? Are there any terminals in Calais?

 

[AgentPete]

We see something similar at night, although with an orange tint, and it's when they're flaring gas on the offshore rigs or onshore gas terminals. The clouds reflect the light back down to the sea surface.

Very interesting possibility, yes, could be.

I don't suppose the English Channel has any notable fossil fuel extraction activities? Are there any terminals in Calais?

There definitely has been exploration in the Channel, whether there’s anything happening at the moment I don’t know. Nor on the French side. But quite possible.

Either that, or… @Sarit may be right…

 

[Aethalope]

Very interesting possibility, yes, could be.

There definitely has been exploration in the Channel, whether there’s anything happening at the moment I don’t know. Nor on the French side. But quite possible.

Either that, or… @Sarit may be right…

Well, one of these makes for a better story...perhaps a seagull dropped another baguette in the large hadron collider.

 

[JoanUP]

Will-o'-the-wisps !

 

[E G Logan]

There definitely has been exploration in the Channel, whether there’s anything happening at the moment I don’t know. Nor on the French side. But quite possible.

You'd only get flaring once you'd got a field actually under development, or fully up and running. So, no.

I think it definitely seems like something reflecting on or off the surface of the sea. Have you tried batting the question to the Met Office?

 

[Jonny]

I'm struggling to see it, too. But sounds pretty mysterious.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

A sunglint? https://library.metoffice.gov.uk/portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/456542

 

[AgentPete]

A sunglint? https://library.metoffice.gov.uk/portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/456542

"the established theory of Cox..."
That would be it, then

 

[Pamela Jo]

As you say in Japanese, "Naruhodo, Neh?" What else could it have been but the communication of two Coxs across time, wind and water.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

"the established theory of Cox..."
That would be it, then

It did look wonderful but almost ominous, like a tsunami on its way. And after all it has happened before. People saw this shimmering glint on the horizon, heading off to church one Sunday morning, 1607. How could they ever have imagined it was a tsunami heading up the Bristol channel, sunlight bouncing off the crest of the oncoming wave.

We might soon see the zodiacal light/false dusk/dawn again. Best bet around the equinox 20 March next new Moon Saturday, March 29, 2025 - 11:00 am GMT. If we are somewhere dark enough

 

[AgentPete]

Amazing re Bristol tsunami (I actually did wonder about that at the time).

The videos of Japan / Indonesia tsunamis all show scenes of people just gawking as the tide goes unnaturally far out, some of them even walk towards the freshly-exposed sea floor. Just appalling. If you ever observe something like that, don’t walk away – run. As high as you can get.

Starlight… has been strangely bright these past few moonless nights, really quite remarkable. Wonder if connected.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

I saw one of those videos, the man yelling from a window, because he could see what the folks down on the beach hadn't yet noticed....uughhh. Total horror. We are seeing more northern lights, seen from further south, maybe there is a connection with other metereological phenomena, this new solar cycle 25 solar maximum?