Why is there an off-centered pink flash before a small explosion that only lasts for a fraction of a second?

Question

We recently blew up a small container, and a few feet away there was a small pink light just before the explosion. We videotaped it and found it lasted for less than 1/30th of a second, and now we can't figure out what it is.

Answer 1

Explosives generally require a detonator to set it off, which is itself a small explosive fired by an electrical pulse. Normally both the main charge and the detonator are "high explosives", meaning they explode with a detonation wave that propagates faster than the speed of sound. If that were the case, the videotape would probably not show it in a separate frame from the main explosion.

If you were setting off a "low explosive" like gun power, there'd be a longer delay and you are more likely to catch it. Low explosives can cause an explosion by containing reaction gases in a strong container. The pressure builds up inside until the container bursts. That takes time (milliseconds). Meanwhile, hot gases can escape any opening (like for the fuse) and give off light. Did you guys set off a pipe bomb?