posted on Dec, 6 2016 @ 07:54 AM
a reply to:
WishIhadknown
I didn't notice your location when I posted. Yes, tornadoes would be pretty uncommon for your area, but something else just occurred to me. A scary
thought actually...
While tornadoes may be uncommon in BC, another phenomenon is not. The Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) are commonly observed in BC and further
north in AK. The Northern Lights are caused by charged particles reacting in the Earth's magnetosphere. These particles are charged by "solar winds"
(waves of energy traveling through space from our Sun). So the "whirl wind" your son is talking about could refer to the 'solar wind'. But here's
the really weird part...
Most often the Northern Lights are generally observed to be green or red. However, during times of particularly strong solar activity
(electromagnetic storms on the Sun), the Northern Lights will be observed to be blue or fringed in blue...ergo, the great "whirl wind" (Solar Wind)
causes the Sun to interact with the Earth's magnetosphere and leave a giant "blue footprint".
Has your son ever seen the Northern LIghts? To the uninitiated the Northern Lights can be a pretty scary and memorable phenomenon. In fact,
throughout hundreds of generations of history they have been referred to as 'dancing gods' and 'bridges of fire". Another interesting note is, your
son's references to "fireballs" also has relevance here. The Northern Lights have caused grave concern among millions in history as they were
perceived as the sky being on 'fire'.
On a side note, the first time I ever witnessed the Northern Lights up close was as an adult fishing one night in southern Alaska. As a kid (in the
lower 48) I had seen them faintly from time to time and they just looked like stationary colored clouds, but seeing them full-on in AK was an awe
inspiring experience. They way they shifted and danced around was pretty startling at first (bordering on fear almost, until I realized what I was
seeing).
ETA...you've indicated your son is very observant. If he had ever been exposed to the Aurora Borealis this would likely be something he would
definitely notice, and definitely remember. Humans are funny creatures, we fear what we don't understand. Perhaps teaching your son about the
wonders of the Northern Lights might change his fear into enchantment.
edit on 12/6/2016 by Flyingclaydisk because: (no reason given)