S.F. man's astounding photo

sfgate.com ^ | February 5, 2003 | Sabin Russell, Chronicle Staff Writer

[Lessismore]

Top investigators of the Columbia space shuttle disaster are analyzing a startling photograph -- snapped by an amateur astronomer from a San Francisco hillside -- that appears to show a purplish electrical bolt striking the craft as it streaked across the California sky.

[Scutter]

Where's the beef (picture) ?

[anobjectivist]

Yeah, all these news stories and not a single picture.

[Bogey78O]

Wow. How many threads that described this photo have been put up without the photo itself.

[new cruelty]

Similar thread here...

[mdittmar]

Is this guy one of those raelians?

Show me the money!

[Palladin]

No tickee--no shirtee.

No photo--no credibility.

[freepersup]

FWIW She went after the picture and camera for NASA. Hey it's a picture...

[Sacajaweau]

There's three people on the west coast that have info and there may be more who we do not know of. Don't forget, anything that NASA acquires are courtesy of these folks.

I don't know the exact course of the ship but wondering if the Apache Point Observatory (lat 32 46 50 long 105 49 13) in New Mexico picked up anything.

[e_engineer]

In the critical shot, a glowing purple rope of light corkscrews down toward the plasma trail, appears to pass behind it, then cuts sharply toward it from below. As it merges with the plasma trail, the streak itself brightens for a distance, then fades.

If this photo is real, this description sounds backwards. The "corkscrew" sounds like the path of a burning piece of shuttle that has broken loose and is caught in the wingtip vortex. This would also explain why it was brightest when it was close to the shuttle. Of course, hyping it as something that corkscrewed into a shuttle travelling at 12,000 mph makes the story sound much more interesting.

[The Real Deal]

FWIW She went after the picture and camera for NASA. Hey it's a picture...

Thanks for the pic. It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Think you could get her to stop by my place? I doubt that my wife would like it though. LOL

[Sacajaweau]

Looks like they found a piece of Columbia in California. It could target a "first happening" area.

I can just hear your wife. It's just a game we play. We're such "cats". Be happy!!

[Cvengr]

I sortof expected the falling debris to leave a trace along the path of the Columbia's descent.

[Kip Lange]

Well, on the flip side -- it IS entirely possible the photographer turned the camera over to NASA, who would in no way let the photo out until they knew what the hell it was (precisely because it would have conspiracy theorcy nuts falling all over themslves). We know now the Shuttle probably began breaking up over CA...the photographer could be witnessing a tile falling off, which reflects off the atmosphere and looks like it's moving in a different direction, or God knows what. I mean, obviously, point well taken, SHOW ME THE MONEY, etc., but I'm just saying this photo (and thousands of others -- remember "angels" and "devils" etc in the WTC debris clouds?) could indeed exist and could indeed look really weird. That being said -- I WANT TO SEE IT. :-)

[Blood of Tyrants]

My guess is that it is a bolt of static discharge off the shuttle. It is not unusual for static to build up on aircraft to the point of electrical discharges. The solution is a simple conductive device that bleeds the excessive charge of into the surrounding air.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Is this the picture?

Its been known to originate from California.

[The Great Satan]

Is it my imagination, or do I see Al Gore with arm upraised standing at the center of that electrical storm?

[okie01]

"I don't know the exact course of the ship but wondering if the Apache Point Observatory (lat 32 46 50 long 105 49 13) in New Mexico picked up anything."

Is that the observatory down near Cloudcroft, at Sunspot?

The flight track was well north of there, more like Santa Fe - Las Vegas - Clovis. But, given the altitude at that point (probably 50+ miles high), Columbia should've been visible above the horizon.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Actually, if you look even closer you'll see the words "rat farts" in the clouds.