Con Edison mishap turns New York’s skyline blue

An electrical flash at a Con Edison substation in Queens temporarily lit up New York’s skyline Thursday night in a brilliant blue. Despite the eerily glowing color, there was no alien invasion. The sky was lit up in shades of blue visible as far as Manhattan and New Jersey.

The tremors shook buildings and rattled windows, sending people running into the streets

Residents reported temporary power outages. Instead, the light came as part of an electrical fault that caused an “arc flash,” Con Edison spokesman Bob McGee said Friday morning, similar to lightning. There was no fire, he said.

“couple of transformers tripped offline” at 20th Avenue and 32nd Street in Astoria

The issue caused a transmission dip in the area, and Con Edison crews responded with the New York Fire Department, the power company said. The fire department did not enter the premises because the “arc flash” was over when firefighters arrived, McGee said.

Loud bangs were probably related to the arc striking the ground in a thunder-and-lightning effect, he said. The flash went from a piece of equipment 20 feet high to the ground.