Sodium vapor streetlight starting up.

This is a sodium vapor streetlight starting up with the greenish-blue argon-xenon gas mixtures, and then turns yellow when the sodium kicks into place.

Technical specs:
Brand-GE Lighting Systems.
Type-M250 Cobrahead.
Bulb-100 watt Sodium Vapor.
Identification label-Yellow with "10".
Optics-Full Cutoff.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sodium
• Vapor
• Light
• Bulb
• Streetlight

[poiiihy]

sounds like a helicopter somewhere.

[CaptainElevator42189]

Actually, it was a light wind.

[BedfordMarcus]

do these types get to high temperature or do they keep cool?

[CaptainElevator42189]

They do get hot, but the external temperature around the lamp fixture keeps them cooler.

[marcvie9]

WOW!

[CaptainElevator42189]

That is amazing indeed, with the change in color during startup.

[matthewtchernev123]

@CaptainElevator42189 my street lights have been replaced 1 year a go and now i think they are like cfl lights because they look like them and i think they are instant on. what kind of street lights do i have now and also they glow a dim blue, not so bright.

[CaptainElevator42189]

Yes, those high intensity discharge lights are fascinating to watch, since they start out in one color when starting up, and then change color when at full brightness.

[CaptainElevator42189]

Yes, they are the so-called self-ballasted mercury vapor bulbs, which have a filament in there that acts as the ballast for the main mercury vapor bulb.

[maclovindotca]

You can buy MV bulbs from lighting stores that have built in ballasts. I think I may buy one.