lightning

[elpedro]

while rockclimbing resently me and another climber were caught up in a thunder storm, each time the lightening struck nearby a blue fuzzy light buzzed off the rock on to our boddies, this was visible to others close by and although we felt no pain we did feel a tingling and the hairs on our arms and head stood on end, this was all very frightening. Has anyone got a explenation for what was actualy happening? Thanks

[mikewith]

Sounds like the relatively common phenomenon of St. Elmo's Fire (thankfully, nothing to do with the movie or song of the same name). There's a good, readable scientific explanation -- plasma and electrons and wavelengths and what have you -- here: http://www.mysterylights.com/types/stelmo/ and lots more of the science stuff(and a picture) here: http://www.physics.northwestern.edu/classes/2001Fa
ll/Phyx135-2/17/relatedequations.html