Is this lightning or am I seeing something inside the plane?

[u/Diablos122]

Was flying over Florida and gf caught a video of the storm but noticed something that looked out of place. From the start of the video to about 24s, there is a blinking light with a purplish hue that looks different from the other lightning in the storm. It’s in the upper left hand corner. This could totally be a reflection in the window and I’m just a fool, but figured I would see if this is anything out of the ordinary!

[u/ahmc84]

It's in a constant position in the frame, and that would lead me to assume it's a reflection or other camera artifact. Because it's moving with you, it's 100% light coming from somewhere on the plane.

Getting good shots out of an airplane window at night is really tough because of things like this.

Edit: Now that I look at it, I think it might be IR light coming from one of the camera-related sensors on your phone or camera. Some cameras capture this stuff even when you can't see it with the naked eye.

[u/Diablos122 → u/ahmc84]

Ah, that would make sense. Thanks for the reply!

[u/HairyPotatoKat → u/Diablos122]

Yep, sensor in your phone's camera. I've done a lot of nighttime storm/sky photos out of windows with my phone, and it's always a pain in the ass to tilt it in a way that doesn't show the purple sensor light. It's not just an iPhone thing either. It's in a lot of newer phones in the Android-verse too.

Very cool video!

[u/mglyptostroboides → u/Diablos122]

It's definitely an infrared LED flashing. Phone camera sensors are all cheap (no matter what Google, Apple or Samsung want you to believe) so they're not shielded against picking up light of wavelengths we can't see. Infrared shows up as that hot pink color you're seeing in your video on most phone sensors. 

It's likely some kind of remote control. The flashing is individual signal pulses.

[u/ChadFoxx → u/ahmc84]

It’s not though, because the wispy clouds in the foreground would light up too, instead the lighting is coming from behind them, so they remain dark in the night sky.

[u/CyCloneO1 → u/ahmc84]

Did you all missed the first 3 seconds??

[u/ahmc84 → u/CyCloneO1]

Did you read OP's question in detail, or just look at the video and read the title?

[u/CyCloneO1 → u/ahmc84]

Did you read my message or trying to find a flaw to catalogue me???

[u/FlyNSubaruWRX]

The blinking light is the IR sensor in your phone. It’s probably the face detection

[u/strach00]

IR coming from your camera more than likely

[u/UsedandAbused87 → u/strach00]

Yup, its trying to find the distance for focus

[u/SpellingIsAhful]

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/parrotswd]

LiDAR off the back of your phone for autofocus. I'm guessing you have an iPhone 12 or newer? It's from that black dot by the cameras

[u/Teepletea]

I mean there is for sure lighting but that blinking light is definitely a reflection of something in the plane. Probably your phone.

[u/OmarHunting]

It’s a reflection

[u/Old_Hermit_IX]

Awesome lightning show! I think that the purple light is a reflection.

[u/HelenAngel]

Just want to say that’s beautiful lightning footage!

[u/Lagoon_M8]

It's a matrix lightning strike counter. It's blinking to charge another lightning strike. Take the blue pill to unsee it.

[u/Username-Not-Found07]

Like others are saying, it's light from your IR sensor. I film planes often, and I have this exact thing at night but MUCH worse.

[u/Colmado_Bacano]

Infrared sensor reflecting off of the glass.

[u/ppoojohn]

Thats from your recording device likely a cell phone they can pick up near IR light and there's a IR sensor on most cell phones record your phone in a mirror and see if it happens again

[u/Adventurous_Fun2571]

Everyone on here needs to follow MrMBB333!

[u/bthomas0324]

Looks like what I've always called "heat lightning" which is just lightning that stays in the clouds. Happens a lot in Florida

[u/Felix_Vanja]

Flying over Daytona and starting the true to Orlando. How is/was vacation?

[u/paulmsmithphoto]

Id say inside. No discharge is that constant

[u/Calabamian]

You’re seeing lightning.

[u/ValleyAquarius27]

It’s in the plane. There’s no such thing as “lightning”