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In my backyard I have a DIY wire trellis made in part by wrapping a steel wire around a water wellhead. I noticed out the window in the dark a tiny pinprick of orange / yellow light coming from the area, and upon closer inspection it originated from a point of contact between the trellis wire and the side of the well. The wire is 5-10 years old and rusted only around this point of contact. The glow disappeared when I disturbed the wire slightly. The outside temperature was 22°F.

Any idea what could be causing this phenomenon? I might be searching the wrong set of keywords, but I can't find anything online.

Upfront I'll say the closest I found is this question. My question could perhaps be more suitable as a comment on linked question, but

  1. I'm new to the stackexchange and cannot write comments
  2. I'm unsure if reviving a >5yr old question is the right thing
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  • Have you searched the "flash rusting" concept? – AChem Dec 27 '20 at 04:28
  • I think it is a bit more complicated than just rusting. I'd suspect some sort of galvanic corrosion. I'm guessing that there must be some sort of mechanism that produces electroluminescence, like in a LED. It can't be getting hot enough to make light via blackbody radiation. – MaxW Dec 27 '20 at 06:10
  • I collect rocks that fluoresce under UV, and so find the question interesting. Thus I upvoted it. – MaxW Dec 27 '20 at 06:18
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    The original 5 year old query talks about sparks. This could be an earthing (grounding in US) issue. A qualified electrician should these things in your area. – AChem Dec 27 '20 at 06:24
  • Something just to attempt... Could be that corrosion lead to some micro paths be formed and they behave as lamp filament just prior to burn? I am working with thin metals electrodes and you might burn them quite easily. – Alchimista Dec 27 '20 at 10:57
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    As @M.Farooq suggests, you might have a serious electrical hazard. Does the well have inside an electric pump? There could be considerable leakage from electric mains to well head, and someone touching it could be electrocuted. – DrMoishe Pippik Dec 27 '20 at 21:35
  • Yes, my comment above also suggest hazard. I shout have stressed that point. It is likely there is an exposed circuit. The comment itself was just referring to the light mechanisms, basically the burning of micropaths due to their high (geometrical) resistance. The paths being built/exposed by the corrosion. @DrMoishe Pippik – Alchimista Dec 28 '20 at 12:41

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