Viewer video courtesy of Sabastian Snyder, of Struthers, via Report It
Less than one week ago, people in Ohio and Michigan witnessed a meteor streak across the sky.
This phenomenon might be why people were alarmed when the sky lit up this weekend.
Saturday night, WKBN’s newsroom was flooded with reports and phone calls of a red glow north of Route 224 near the Mahoning and Lawrence County border.
After investigating, the source of the glow was not out of this world but man-made. The pulsing red light came from a natural gas well in the area.
The flame came from a practice called flaring. When the well becomes over-pressured, a safety measure kicks in and releases natural gas. The gas is burned off as it’s released from the flare stack.
The size of the flame is based on how much gas was built up in the well.
On top of this, weather played a role in the size of the glow too. Clouds started to roll in, which helps trap light. There was also snow on the ground that helped to reflect the light as well.
On top of these aids, there was also a slight inversion present. An inversion is when there is a layer of warm air that blocks sound and light from expanding in the atmosphere.
When the light hits the clouds, inversion refracts it back toward the ground. Then, the snow can do the same thing at the surface.
This is why the light carried for miles and was seen by hundreds.
So the next time you hear thunder way off in the distance or see lights from miles away, you’ll know it’s because of science.If you have pictures you’d like to share of the red glow, send them to WKBN via our Report It feature.
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