"Darren New" <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote in message 
news:48bdaff3$1@news.povray.org...
> St. wrote:
>>  Isn't it a rule of thumb that for every second after the lightning until 
>> the thunder sounds, that's one mile per second? Hence 9 seconds, the 
>> storm is 9 miles away from you?
>
> Sound travels about 1000 feet per second, and there are about 5000 feet in 
> a mile, so five seconds is one mile.

 What I said above is a true 'Old Wive's Tale' here in the UK. I've heard it 
so many times now...


>
> I was once running home down a mountain trail when it started to rain, 
> with my brother beside me, and lightning went between the two of us 
> (incidentally striking the building we were running towards, going in the 
> window and out the door to ground).  It was the *loudest* and *brightest* 
> thing I'd ever heard, needless to say.  I remember being stunned still, 
> and then a few seconds later looking up to see my brother running down the 
> hill screaming and waving his hands over his head. I always thought it was 
> comedic exaggeration to run waving your hands over your head, but I guess 
> not.

   Wow, great memories! Great story! I too, have a memory like that, but it 
concerns a 'lightening ball'.

   When I was around 9 years old, I joined a boxing club and really got into 
it with the training and such. Got my nose punched badly in my first 
sparring debut. ;)

      Ran home with a bleeding nose, lol. But it was like 5 miles from home, 
and half way home, it started raining. And then thunder and lightening. And 
then, right next to a lamp post, this amazing blue/white ball of lightening 
fizzled and hovered above me and then zipped away...

    It was an amazing sight, and I'll never forget that.

       ~Steve~

>
> -- 
> Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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