Ball lightning is a rare luminous phenomenon, often described as a glowing sphere that typically appears during thunderstorms.
Ball lightning is a rare luminous phenomenon, described as a glowing sphere that typically appears during thunderstorms. Eyewitness accounts suggest the sphere may float in the air, move relatively slowly, and then vanish within seconds. Reported diameters range from a few centimeters to tens of centimeters, though descriptions vary widely.
Written accounts of the phenomenon date back centuries, with some sources suggesting the earliest report is from the 12th century. In 2012, a ball lightning-like phenomenon was reportedly created under laboratory conditions in the United States. This was an experimental result, however, and not a full explanation for the natural phenomenon.
Currently, there is no single, universally accepted scientific explanation for ball lightning. Hypotheses have included plasma, chemical reactions involving silica, and electromagnetic processes, but there is no consensus. Direct measurements are lacking, and some eyewitness accounts may describe other phenomena or observational illusions.
A rare luminous phenomenon described as a glowing sphere that typically appears during thunderstorms.
According to eyewitness accounts, it vanishes within a few seconds.
No. Several hypotheses have been proposed, but there is no single, accepted explanation, and direct measurements are lacking.
In 2012, a ball lightning-like phenomenon was reportedly created under laboratory conditions in the United States, but this did not provide a full explanation for the natural phenomenon.