Introduction
3am has been labeled the Devil’s Hour. A lot of people claim that they have a lot of unusual experiences especially on this hour of the day. One of the most common 3am phenomena is the Saint Elmo’s Fire, colloquially pronounced in some places as santilmo. Join me in my quest on digging in the 3am Saint Elmo phenomena.
Before I formally start my investigation, I know some of you are not really familiar with the Saint Elmo’s fire so I feel obliged to define it.
Saint Elmo’s fire, as described by my trusted eyewitnesses, is like a floating ball of fire. Yeah, its floating without a trace of its source. They tend to be attracted to humans, like a magnet. That’s why they are freaky, imagine a chasing ball of fire.
Investigation
Some people say that 3am is also the darkest hour of the day. Eager to confirm this, I made my own experiment using a self-modified QSE159 phototransistor. The set-up: I created a circuit of a QSE159 phototransistor with an ADC (analog to digital converter). The ADC output lines were connected to the port pins of an AT89C4051 microcontroller unit by Atmel. The port 3 of the said microcontoller was interfaced with the computer’s COM ports (RS-232) for datalogging. A prototype datalogger was also created using Visual Basic 6.
The circuit I made aims to log the intensity of light using my own unit of measurements. The higher the value, the more light is detected by the phototransistor. I started with the light intensity experiment at 12:00am and ended it at 5:00am.
Light intensity vs time (in hours past midnight) graph
As seen in my data graph, the darkest times covered in the time period was between 3am to 4am. At past 1am, there is a sudden surge of light, which can be accounted by my accidental switching on of the backyard lamp (hehe).
3am as the darkest hour of the day, CONFIRMED!
Connecting Scientific Concepts
So, what’s with this? There are certain elements (the one in the periodic table of elements, not the superstitious ones) in nature that react in the absence of light. These reactions are called photobic reactions. The reaction of sulfur and phosphorus is an example of this kind of reaction. Sulfur and phosphorus are also both found in blood, and they are also the key components in the formation of a Saint Elmo’s fire.
So in crash sites where the blood of the dead bodies is absorbed by the soil, Saint Elmo’s fire phenomenon is more likely to occur. The blood will react at a dark hour (3am is the optimum hour) forming this so-called “mysterious” ball of fire. The ball of fire is actually not fire, it is actually a visible glowing plasma.
Now we have an explanation..
Now that we have an explanation to the 3am Saint Elmo’s fire phenomenon, there’s no reason to be afraid of it. The 3am Saint Elmo’s fire is just a product of the Sulfur-Phosphorus dark reaction.
You may ask me what to do when chased by this Saint Elmo’s fire. The only thing to do is to run in a zigzag path cause studies suggest that Saint Elmo’s Fire has a hard time maneuvering directions.
Have fun and a spooky 3am. ;D
Actual Account
I had the chance to interview my friend Linda (she doesn’t blog, sorry no link for you). Here’s our Tagalog conversation:
Mikko: Saan ka nakakita ng santilmo?
Linda: Ah, ganito kasi iyon. Summer ‘yon, week after ng fiesta. Mga 3:20am ata yun, ginising ako ng kapatid ko kasi naiihi daw siya. Tas yung CR sa loob ng bahay, ginagamit pa ng katulong namin kaya sinamahan ko nalang siya sa labas para umihi. Tas may napansin ako sa likod ng puno ng saging, lumulutang na apoy tas sabi ng lola ko santilmo daw yun.
Mikko: Anong itsura niya?
Linda: Alam mo yung parang tennis ball na lumulutang na umaapoy. Ganun!
Mikko: Ah, ganun ba. Nanghahabol ba talaga ito ng tao?
Linda: At first, nanigas ako nung nakita ko. Siyempre sino bang hindi magugulat kapag nakakita ng ganun. Hindi ako tumakbo agad, dahan-dahan akong gumalaw sa takot. Tas nung tumakbo ako, hinabol ako, parang ipis.
Linda: Sabi rin pala ng lola ko, mga kaluluwa daw yun ng mga taong hindi tanggap ang kanilang pagkamatay. Tambakan rin daw ng mga pinatay nung gera (World War 2) ang likod ng bahay namin.
I’ve translated it to English for international audience. Please bear with my crappy translation:
Mikko: Where did you see the Saint Elmo’s Fire?
Linda: Ah, it went this way. It was summer, week after the fiesta. It was like 3:20am when my sibling woke me up to accompany him to the restroom. That time, our household helper was still using the restroom so I accompanied him to the backyard to urinate. While waiting for my little brother, I noticed a ball of fire behind the banana tree. I asked my grandma the morning after, and she said it was a Saint Elmo’s fire.
Mikko: How does it look?
Linda: Uhm, it’s like a floating tennis ball of fire. Like that!
Mikko: Ah, okay. Does it really chase people?
Linda: At first, I can’t move because of fear. Of course, who would not be shocked to see such thing. I moved away slowly first then when I ran, it chased me, like a cockroach.
Linda: Ah, my grandma also told me that they were the souls of the people who can’t accept the way they died. She also said that the area near our backyard used to be a dumpsite of dead bodies during the war (WW2).
Quote for the day: Little learning is dangerous!
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uy… yun pala yun.. may nakita na ako nyan dati.. pero pag hagis ko ng tubig.. biglang nawala ang fire
hehe
PAPATULAN KO TO!
Some people say that St. Elmo’s Fire or “Santilmo” is actually some sort of illusion caused by methane gas (or some other gas) condensing from the ground up.
I thought that would also explain st. elmo’s fire appearances, ate ria. but me, myself did experience to witness a santilmo. but it disappear after i curiously attempt to investigate. it is a mystery if science can’t explain it.
Hehe… Mas chuy ang story mo sa dorm…
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I was just curious to check google about santilmo..thanks to your information..it looks very credible to me. When I was a child they said the best thing to do so that this ball of fire will not chase you is to remove your clothes and put it back again “pabaliktad”..or “tumuwad” daw..I don’t know the rationale for this..
thanks for the research..
God bless,
Bethany
Hi have recently had (last night) the 3am effect. All the research I did today mentioned it was a witching hour, but for me it was the best I’ve felt in over 30 years, not that I live a life of suffering, far from it, but the feeling of peace and well being was so intense I have been permanetly affected by it. I am not a religious person or a spooky one, but something did happen to me and I did see something, not a fire or a light but a difference in the air around me, it was calm and did not frighten me at all. I felt loves beyond belief and drifted back to sleep slowly and will forever wait for the moment to happen again.
just to add to mikko’s observation. st. elmo’s fire is most prevalent during humid weather.
your chart is ambiguose because the time of sunset and sunrise differ between winter and summer, plus concideration of other factors as light pollution of the city you were practicing your experiment in (duh… my mom turned the light on at 1am to let the cat in) plus every one else whether weekend or weekday will switch there lights off at different hours, plus you didnt even note the device you were claiming your “light data” came from, you sir are a fraud and a bad one at that, are you ENGLISH?
my deapest apologies, you cited……. QSE159 phototransistor, what was the calibration date? how many trials in your chart data? just one? what was your control for the experiment? go back to your janitor job
Hi there webmaster I like your information
may nakita na kong santilmo ee lumilipad
This is total bullshit! Do you have any hobbies Mr Fraudster? I suggest you find one and SOOOOONNNN!!!
may close encounter na ako nyan, tumamama mismo sa lens ng helmet ko then parang gas na nawala, yung first sa ilog nasa ibabaw ng tubig, second sa puno ng mangga may bagyo noon, third,akala ko sinampay lang na damit pero lumulutang na apoy pala ‘sin laki ng kamao ko…..pero ang pinagtataka ko blue ang apoy hindi red orange, tama yung sinasabi above around 3-4 am ko nakikita, may ron po bang futher explanation kung san galing ang santilmo,kagabi kasi napanag inipan ko kaya ako nag search, then na recall ko lahat ng experience ko
Had errors viewing the site in Firefox on Linux, but apart from that loved the site!
ay,,na freak out ako sa 3 am…ahahah…
ay,,na freak out ako sa 3 am…ahahah… i also thought that its the blood of a killed person not contented on how he died…
i need help. serious help. my family and i believe someone has been doing witchcraft on my little cousin and we really need someone to help us. No its not a joke. my cousin was daignozed with Encephalitis this march. and eversince then shes been woarse. my grandma back in mexico i believe yesterday she went to talk to a lady that would help us and she said someone we know has been doing this to her. someone close. we believe we know who it is. but we need to make sure its witchcraft. does anybody here know a show or something or somebody that can help us??? heres my number. please dont take advantage of it. if you have any information regards of what i just posted please let me know. i really need some answers..
cell: 319 504 3054
email:gonzalezjessica51@yahoo.com
Thank You, Jessica.
In those times.PRAYER is the best way in fighting Demonic Powers such as Witchcraft.God’s Power will overcome and Destroy all Evil in the world.In one of Jesus’ teachings to his Apostles:Even you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can tell to the mountains go there from here.And God will never let something bad happen to His Sons and Daughters!All Hail Jesus Christ!Have faith my Friend!
And My Friend tell to your cousin to Pray St.Michael The Archangel Prayer.That would help alot.
you said that in order o have a glowing plasma etc. you need a Sulfur-Phosphorus dark reaction. but one time a saw a glowing ball of fire I was in a with my great grandpa fishing and it went circling our boat for a very long time before it dissipated. My grandpa said it was a santelmo but i don’t believe in such now my question is that sulfur and phosphorus is needed in such reaction but how can it be possible when were in a lake.
Sorry for the stupid question got nothing to do.
tnx for the info but,i think saint elmo is still now a mystery..no clear information yet…science cant explain this…only god can explain!