<p>I was viewing Google Street View and saw an oddly shaped line of light coming from the clouds.</p>

<p>How did this happen?</p>

<p>It probably couldn't be lightning as it appeared over multiple images and is too thick. It also ends in a large flash of light.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Qvngd.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Qvngd.png" alt="Google Street View"></a></p>

<p>Use <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4362548,-115.4506672,3a,75y,209.71h,112.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sM_9oigJZaE_P717nHwtedA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this link</a> to see what I'm talking about.</p>

<p>By the way, this is nearby Area 51 (the camera is looking in the direction of Area 51).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-10T12:02:02.573Z
Google Street view is made up of many still shots quickly mosaiced together, and so you shouldn't be surprised to find  all sorts of strange artifacts of the assembly process, especially in the sky, which is away from the objects at "street view" the software is designed to show.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-31T11:09:28.107Z
This is due to an imaging artefact and not an actual atmospheric phenomenon.  The proximity of Area 51 is totally irrelevant.  Closing as off-topic.
gerrit
<clouds><lightning>
Beam of light coming from otherwise cloudly
bb216b3acfd8f72cbc8f899d4d6963
# Beam of light coming from otherwise cloudly

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-20)

I was viewing Google Street View and saw an oddly shaped line of light coming from the clouds.

How did this happen?

It probably couldn't be lightning as it appeared over multiple images and is too thick. It also ends in a large flash of light.

[![Google Street View](https://i.sstatic.net/Qvngd.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Qvngd.png)

Use [this link](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4362548,-115.4506672,3a,75y,209.71h,112.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sM_9oigJZaE_P717nHwtedA!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?hl=en) to see what I'm talking about.

By the way, this is nearby Area 51 (the camera is looking in the direction of Area 51).

**Tags:** clouds, lightning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Google Street view is made up of many still shots quickly mosaiced together, and so you shouldn't be surprised to find  all sorts of strange artifacts of the assembly process, especially in the sky, which is away from the objects at "street view" the software is designed to show.  
> **username_2**: This is due to an imaging artefact and not an actual atmospheric phenomenon.  The proximity of Area 51 is totally irrelevant.  Closing as off-topic.  

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