* Astronomy

Bell Island 1978 - A genuine mystery



A clip from the 2004 documentary The Invisible Machine, directed by Barbara Doran and John Whalen.

Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.
On April 2, 1978, there was a loud explosion on Bell Island which caused damage to some houses and the electrical house wiring in the surrounding area. Two cup-shaped holes about two feet deep and three feet wide marked the major impact. A number of TV sets in Lance Cove, the surrounding community, also exploded at the time of the blast. It was initially thought to be caused by ball lightning. Meteorologists confirmed that atmospheric conditions at the time were not conducive to lightning. The boom was heard 55 kilometres away in Cape Broyle. The impact occurred in the Bickfordville area, on the southwestern side of the island. According to Tom Bearden, the boom occurred when a bolt of unusually straight lightning impacted the ground at a 45 degree angle.
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