Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds? What exactly makes this blue?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

BETTER video and audio, stars out variable yellow/orange but after about 1 minutue settles down to beautiful, calming, stable turquoise flames! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr7QkttzX-Q

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue

Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds? What exactly makes this blue?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

BETTER video and audio, stars out variable yellow/orange but after about 1 minutue settles down to beautiful, calming, stable turquoise flames! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr7QkttzX-Q

Another video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRYblAiSQ_8

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue

Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds? What exactly makes this blue?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue

Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds? What exactly makes this blue?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

BETTER video and audio, stars out variable yellow/orange but after about 1 minutue settles down to beautiful, calming, stable turquoise flames! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr7QkttzX-Q

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue

Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue

Blue is often linked with technology (e.g. "big blue", glowing pools of water with Cherenkov radiation, aliens in general, Nobel prizes for blue LEDs) as well as traditional things like sparks.

In a huge transformer "fire" event like this, what causes this blue light? Is it related to chemicals contained in the transformers the way chemicals affect the color of fireworks or how carbon molecules make many comets blue/green? Or is this really coming from huge electrical discharges through the air and certain spectral lines excited in nitrogen or oxygen compounds? What exactly makes this blue?

Video and audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G4dYRcKnVE

Images from CNN's A transformer explosion turned the New York City skyline blue