Arcie Sparkie

This is what happens when you switch off a circuit with a couple hundred thousand volts. It doesn't break easily.

For those who care: If you look closely it appears that this was a 3-phase connection, but one phase was still energized. The arc is maintained because of the plasma path through the air. But the plasma is rather hot and it keeps rising until eventually the path is just too long to support a continuous arc. Well at least that's how I understand it.


This one is with all three phases energized.

I believe the little rods that flap up are used to keep the arc from damaging the main contacts. The arc zaps onto the flaps, which can then be replaced later on.