The motion of such balls is far from being very rapid – they have even been observed occasionally to pause in their course, but they are not the less destructive for all that. [65][66] This hypothesis got significant supportive data in 2014, when the first ever recorded spectra of natural ball lightning were published. This hypothesis fails to explain observed physical damage caused by ball lightning or simultaneous observation by multiple witnesses. It is suggested that bound states of radially oscillating charged particles with oppositely oriented spins – the analogue of Cooper pairs – can appear inside a ball lightning. But the researchers couldn’t confirm that, as there are no emission lines of neutral aluminum atoms within the spectral range of their instrument (wavelengths of 400–1000 nanometers). A review of the available literature published in 1972[46] identified the properties of a "typical" ball lightning, whilst cautioning against over-reliance on eye-witness accounts: In January 2014, scientists from Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, China, published the results of recordings made in July 2012 of the optical spectrum of what was thought to be natural ball lightning made by chance during the study of ordinary cloud–ground lightning on the Tibetan Plateau. The spectral analysis indicates that the radiation from soil elements is present for the entire lifetime of the BL. this build is unique because ball lightning is linked to both blast chain and high impact.We have to be very strategic with our play style. [4][47] The theorized forms of silicon storage in soil include nanoparticles of Si, SiO, and SiC. During the hot portion, which lasts from the onset of the return stroke until about 20 s, singly ionized and 2. [87][88], The declassified Project Condign report concludes that buoyant charged plasma formations similar to ball lightning are formed by novel physical, electrical, and magnetic phenomena, and that these charged plasmas are capable of being transported at enormous speeds under the influence and balance of electrical charges in the atmosphere. The spectrum contained emission lines corresponding to the presence of silicon, iron, and calcium in the light of the ball lightning. In this building is situated the dynamos and electrical apparatus of perhaps the finest electrical plant of its size in the state. During one late-evening thunderstorm in July 2012, they saw ball lightning appear just after a lightning strike about 900 meters from their apparatus and were able to record a spectrum and high-speed video footage of the ball. They frequently appear almost simultaneously with cloud-to-ground lightning discharge, They are generally spherical or pear-shaped with fuzzy edges, Their diameters range from 1–100 cm (0.4–40 inches), most commonly 10–20 cm (4–8 inches), Their brightness corresponds to roughly that of a domestic lamp, so they can be seen clearly in daylight, A wide range of colors has been observed, red, orange, and yellow being the most common, The lifetime of each event is from one second to over a minute with the brightness remaining fairly constant during that time, They tend to move at a few meters per second, most often in a horizontal direction, but may also move vertically, remain stationary, or wander erratically, Many are described as having rotational motion, It is rare that observers report the sensation of heat, although in some cases the disappearance of the ball is accompanied by the liberation of heat, Some display an affinity for metal objects and may move along conductors such as wires or metal fences, Some appear within buildings passing through closed doors and windows, Some have appeared within metal aircraft and have entered and left without causing damage, The disappearance of a ball is generally rapid and may be either silent or explosive. Ball lightning.png 1,165 × 979; 4.36 MB. [9][10] Another study analyzed reports of 10,000 cases.[9][11]. Ball lightning typically appears during thunderstorms as a glow, ranging from the size of a golf ball to several meters across, which floats in the air for between one second and tens of seconds. While the experiment was under way, ball lightning appeared, travelled down the string, struck Richmann's forehead and killed him. "Ball Lightning Explanation Leading to Clean Energy." An attempt later to duplicate those balls with a surplus submarine battery resulted in several failures and an explosion. Its appearance has also been linked to power lines,[24][43] altitudes of 300 m (1,000 feet) and higher, and during thunderstorms[24] and calm weather. Because of the fire and sulphur smell, contemporaries explained the ball of fire as "the devil" or as the "flames of hell". [23], A beautiful yet strange phenomenon was seen in this city on last Monday night. Later, some blamed the entire incident on two people who had been playing cards in the pew during the sermon, thereby incurring God's wrath.[1]. [3] An optical spectrum of what appears to have been a ball-lightning event was published in January 2014 and included a video at high frame rate. [59][60] These experiments stemmed from the theory that ball lightning is actually oxidized silicon vapors (see vaporized silicon hypothesis, below). Matthew Francis has dubbed this the "dirt clod hypothesis", in which the spectrum of ball lightning shows that it shares chemistry with soil. In front of, above and around the new Hall of Engineering of the School of Mines, balls of fire played tag for half an hour, to the wonder and amazement of all who saw the display. Ball Lightning In A Tornado Vortex [Source: Nando News / By Philip Cohen - May 26 1999] The last place most people would try to start a fire is inside a tornado. In his book Thunder and Lightning,[18] translated into English in 1875, French science-writer Wilfrid de Fonvielle wrote that there had been about 150 reports of globular lightning: Globular lightning seems to be particularly attracted to metals; thus it will seek the railings of balconies, or else water or gas pipes etc, It has no peculiar tint of its own but will appear of any colour as the case may be ... at Coethen in the Duchy of Anhalt it appeared green. Even when thunderstorms were not ascribed directly to the activity of a divine being, they were considered a disturbing premonition. Carbon in the soil strips the silicates of oxygen through chemical reactions, creating a gas of energetic silicon atoms. Ohtsuki and Ofuruton[52][53] described producing "plasma fireballs" by microwave interference within an air-filled cylindrical cavity fed by a rectangular waveguide using a 2.45 GHz, 5 kW (maximum power) microwave oscillator. For instance, microwaves are able to pass through glass, which helps to explain why balls could be formed indoors. The observed data are consistent with vaporization of soil as well as … Recessed Lighting. The researchers found that the spectrum contained several emission lines from silicon, iron, and calcium—all elements expected to be abundant in soil. These plasmas appear to originate due to more than one set of weather and electrically charged conditions, the scientific rationale for which is incomplete or not fully understood. [100] It is similar to a liquid or solid state of matter with extremely low (gas-like) density. The study also showed that the rapidly changing magnetic field of a close lightning flash is strong enough to excite the neurons in the brain. The lightning balls can dramatically explode as the structure destabilizes. Electronic oscillations are also possible as stationary waves in a plasma ball or thick plasma membrane. The microwave EM field applies a ponderomotive force (radiation pressure) to the electrons preventing them from falling into the core. This ball rolled across without doing any harm to two women and a young man who were here; but on getting into an adjoining stable it exploded and killed a pig which happened to be shut up there, and which, knowing nothing about the wonders of thunder and lightning, dared to smell it in the most rude and unbecoming manner. 4441–4449. The simplest case corresponds to radial oscillations in a spherical plasma membrane. My heart froze, I glanced at my grandfather – his face was completely calm. Ball lightning has been one of the most mysterious natural phenomena for centuries, partly because it is so rare and transient and therefore hard to investigate. I felt a very slight shock in the middle of my right hand, which was closer to the globe than any other part of my body.[22]. The scientists' theory can explain many of the strange characteristics of ball lightning. Scientific theories of ball lightning abound, with varying degrees of plausibility. He crossed himself just as calmly as he had when the fiery ball had flown near us, and I felt that it was unseemly and not courageous to be frightened as I was. Ball lightning; Media in category "Ball lightning" The following 8 files are in this category, out of 8 total. Vertical axis: Intensity (%), horizontal axis: wavelength (nm). A related group uses the generic name "Unconventional Plasmas". Rev. He was sheltered in a small cottage when he, in his own words, ...noticed, with what I can only describe as calm amazement, that a dazzling globe of electric fire, apparently between six and twelve inches [15 and 30 cm] in diameter, was stationary about six inches [15 cm] below and to the right of my right knee. The theory could explain many of the strange characteristics of ball lightning. [79] These oscillations were described in both classical[77][78] and quantum[76][80] approaches. Five men were knocked down and one of them very bruised. Ball lightning is an unexplained phenomenon described as luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Ball lightning may be an atmospheric electrical phenomenon, the physical nature of which is still controversial. First spectrum of ball lightning shows it shares chemistry with soil. As the vortex has a much smaller vector of energy compared to the overall energy of the reactant sonic shock wave, its vector is likely fractional to the overall reaction. Manykin et al. To obtain a time resolved spectrum we need to add a horizontal slit to isolate just a segment of the lightning channel and then cause the film to move perpendicularly. The wind was high and the air seemed to be full of electricity. Still invisible, and due to the central and surface tension-forces, it shrinks to an intermediate state of a cylinder, and finally into a ball. 2011. The burnt portion of the object flares up into a large ball of fire, while "plasma balls" float near the oven chamber ceiling. [8][needs update]. . The Greeks had Zeus, the Romans Jupiter. Glowing plasma balls have been created artificially by passing intense microwaves through air [1] or by underwater electrical discharges [2]. They are separate and distinct phenomena.[45]. From the spectrum, the temperature of the ball lightning was assessed as being lower than the temperature of the parent lightning (<15,000Ð30,000 K (14,700Ð29,700 °C; 26,500Ð53,500 ¡F)). At the tip of a lightning stroke reaching the ground, a relativistic electron bunch can be produced when in contact with microwave radiation. (At the very least, observations would differ substantially. Nikola Tesla (1899 December) theorized that the balls consist of highly rarefied (but hot) gas.[49]. Researchers have uncovered the specific mechanisms that produce champagne’s crackle. [74] The latter ionizes the local air and the radiation pressure evacuates the resulting plasma, forming a spherical plasma bubble that stably traps the radiation. [95], Seward published images of the results of his experiments, along with his method. One popular theory is that ball lightning is caused when lightning striking the ground vaporizes some of the silicate minerals in soil. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the phenomenon is said to last considerably longer than the split-second flash of a lightning bolt. Both cameras were equipped with slitless spectrographs. Ball lightning has been described as transparent, translucent, multicolored, evenly lit, radiating flames, filaments or sparks, with shapes that vary between spheres, ovals, tear-drops, rods, or disks. The resulting transformation subsequently becomes visible once the energy is concentrated into the final spherical stage. The spectrum of a cloud-to-ground lightning strike and of the ball lightning it generated. [67] Gas discharge properties have been calculated, considering electrons, negative ions, positive ions and the metastable singlet delta oxygen molecules, … Ball lightning is a mysterious phenomenon, that hasn`t been fully studied yet. Several hypotheses have been advanced since the phenomenon was brought into the scientific realm by the English physician and electrical researcher William Snow Harris in 1843, and French Academy scientist François Arago in 1855. The visibility of the ball lightning can be associated with electroluminescence, a direct result of the triboelectric effect from materials within the area of the reaction. The recorded glow was about 5 meters across—the actual size of the ball was much smaller—and it changed from white to reddish during the second or so that it lasted. The soliton model of a ball lightning was further developed. While a full explanation of the nature of ball lightning is still beyond our grasps, scientists in China have moved one step closer to an explanation, recording the spectacle's optical spectrum for the first time. Owing to the lack of reproducible data, the existence of ball lightning as a physical phenomenon remains unproven. They had set up spectrometers on the remote Qinghai Plateau of northwest China to investigate ordinary lightning, which is frequent in this region. If that’s so, one should expect to see atomic emission lines of silicon and other soil elements in the spectrum. Ball lightning.jpg 1,801 × 1,490; 378 KB. [24] Accounts also vary on their alleged danger to humans, from lethal to harmless. For instance, microwaves are able to pass through glass, which can explain why fireballs can form indoors. PPPS- 2001 Pulsed Power Plasma Science Conference. [citation needed] St. Elmo's fire arises when a sharp conductor, such as a ship's mast, amplifies the atmospheric electric field to breakdown. A vacuum exists between the core and the electron layer containing an intense electromagnetic (EM) field, which is reflected and guided by the electron layer. The visual effect can be described as small glowing, sparkling orbs that roll around a surface. In 2005 an incident occurred in Guernsey, where an apparent lightning-strike on an aircraft led to multiple fireball-sightings on the ground. He describes it as slow-moving balls of fire or explosive gas that sometimes fall to the earth or run along the ground during a thunderstorm. The presumption of its existence has depended on reported public sightings, which have produced inconsistent findings. Watch high-speed footage of the ball lightning event and the accompanying spectrum: Learn about another kind of electrical phenomenon produced not by thunderstorms, but by earthquakes . A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, "A view of the theories which have been proposed to explain the origin of meteoric stones", "Natural ball lightning probed for the first time", "The 'Skyrmion' May Have Solved the Mystery of Ball Lightning", "Weather Eye: Charles Darwin, the meteorologist", "Ball lightning – and the charge sheath vortex", "Byla to koule s dvoumetrovým ocasem, popisuje dispečerka kulový blesk", "Unusual Phenomea Reports: Ball Lightning", Ball Lightning and Bead Lightning: Extreme Forms of Atmospheric Electricity, "Tenth international syposium on ball lightning/ International symposium III on unconventional plasmas", "Plasma fireballs formed by microwave interference in air (Corrections)", "Fireball Generation in a Water Discharge", "How to make a Stable Plasmoid ( Ball Lightning ) with the GMR (Graphite Microwave Resonator) by Jean-Louis Naudin", "Creating the 4th state of matter with microwaves by Halina Stanley", "Pesquisadores da UFPE geram, em laboratório, fenômeno atmosférico conhecido como bolas luminosas", "Ball Lightning Mystery Solved? He said that the balls sometimes split into smaller balls and may explode "like a cannon".[17]. The ball of fire reportedly divided into two segments, one exiting through a window by smashing it open, the other disappearing somewhere inside the church. After the ball had passed through the whole church, and suddenly gone out through the door, I again looked at my grandfather. A ball lightning (BL) has been observed with two slit-less spectrographs at a distance of 0.9 km. Such observations might ultimately suggest how to create ball lightning artificially, says Uman, and Yuan agrees. Amazon.com. There are many historical reports of such “fireballs” injuring or even killing people and setting buildings alight, and they have sometimes been given supernatural explanations. [44], Ball lightning is often erroneously identified as St. Elmo's fire. The aircraft encountered an electrical storm during which it was enveloped in a sudden bright and loud electrical discharge (0005 h EST, March 19, 1963). Four people died and approximately 60 were injured when, during a severe storm, an 8-foot (2.4 m) ball of fire was described as striking and entering the church, nearly destroying it. 2, 215–238. Some experiments describe covering the match with an inverted glass jar, which contains both the flame and the balls so that they don't damage the chamber walls. Included is a report by a farmer of observing a ball lightning event forming in a kitchen and the effects it caused as it moved around the kitchen. [94], Chen was able to derive the physics and found that there is a class of plasma toroids that remain stable with or without an external magnetic containment, a new plasma configuration unlike anything reported elsewhere. October 2001. It occurred in air and in nitrous oxide, which possess such metastable ions, and not in atmospheres of argon, carbon dioxide, or helium, which do not. Powell measured their spectra, and found that the after-glow comes mostly from metastable NO ions, which are long-lived at low temperatures. Arcs drawn from high-power low-voltage microwave generators also are found to exhibit afterglow. There is at present no widely accepted explanation for ball lightning. As I looked at it, it exploded with a sharp report quite impossible to confuse with the continuous turmoil of the lightning, thunder and hail, or that of the lashed water and smashed wood which was creating a pandemonium outside the cottage. “We are planning to simulate the observational conditions and reproduce it in the laboratory,” says Yuan. The crew watched one ball descend, killing a man on deck and setting the main mast on fire. Large stones from the church walls were hurled onto the ground and through large wooden beams. This is the only eye witness account of ball lightning forming, then staying in one area, then ending that the author has heard of.[96]. Products. One particularly large example was reported "on the authority of Dr. Gregory" in 1749: Admiral Chambers on board the Montague, 4 November 1749, was taking an observation just before noon...he observed a large ball of blue fire about three miles [5 km] distant from them. Use of the American Physical Society websites and journals implies that the user has read and agrees to our Terms and Conditions and any applicable Subscription Agreement. Around the ring, over and under pressure systems rotate the vortex around a circular axis in the cross section of the torus. On 10th of September 1845 a ball of lightning entered the kitchen of a house in the village of Salagnac in the valley of Correze. Richmann was attending a meeting of the Academy of Sciences when he heard thunder and ran home with his engraver to capture the event for posterity. The ball (it was of lightning) whirled around the floor, then passed the chandelier and flew out through the door into the park. 1" 1" Round Downlight; 1" Square Downlight; 2" 2" Round Downlight, Adjustable & Pinhole; 2" Square Downlight, Adjustable & Pinhole A faint smile was on his face, and he nodded his head at me. References to glowing orbs in the sky are even found in ancient texts such as the bible's account of Elijah ascending to heaven in a fiery chariot. These floating fireballs shine as brightly as a 100-watt lightbulb; can be white, yellow, orange, red or blue in color and are typically about the size of a small grapefruit, although sightings suggest they can range in size from golf ball to beach ball. During the service there was a powerful thunderstorm, streaks of lightning flashed one after the other, and it seemed as if the peals of thunder would shake even the church and the whole world to its foundations. At the head of the Hindu pantheon was Indra, while Norse mythology gave us Thor – all wielders of thunderbolts. The BL is generated by a cloud-to-ground lightning strike. Ball lightning appears as glowing orbs that seem to occur during thunderstorms, usually following a lightning strike. A crewman went out to retrieve the fallen body and was struck by a second ball, which knocked him back and left him with mild burns. [14], An English journal reported that during an 1809 storm, three "balls of fire" appeared and "attacked" the British ship HMS Warren Hastings. The ball serves as a resonant microwave cavity, automatically adjusting its radius to the wavelength of the microwave radiation so that resonance is maintained. [62], This hypothesis suggests that ball lightning consists of vaporized silicon burning through oxidation. “I think that this is a unique observation that is probably of ball lightning, or one type of ball lightning,” says lightning specialist Martin Uman of the University of Florida in Gainesville. Just a few years ago, an alleged event of ball lightning in China was by chance captured on a spectrograph following a lightning bolt striking the ground, providing researchers with a breakdown of its electromagnetic spectrum. Created artificially by passing intense microwaves through air [ 1 ] or by underwater electrical discharges 2... Extremely low ( gas-like ) density carbon in the cross section of the.... ) density, nitrogen and oxygen and 2 submarine atmosphere Domokos Tar suggested the following theory for ball is. Drawn from high-power low-voltage microwave generators also are found to occur within certain industrial microwave ovens and continue glow! Balls were spinning plasma toroids. silicon storage in soil include nanoparticles of Si, SiO, light! Devon, in its turn, can lead to a liquid or solid state of matter with extremely (... Left corner ) and spectrum of a large mill-stone film of a group led by Holmlid again. ] describe balls that eventually explode and leave behind an odor of sulfur lightning consists of vaporized burning! And surface tension silicate minerals in soil I again looked at my grandfather been observed with two slit-less spectrographs a. Are … a ball lightning phenomena. [ 73 ] toroid. laboratory experiments December ) theorized that the ball. [ 17 ] field this much by its own conductivity tip of a rock. 41 KB also vary on their alleged danger to humans, from lethal harmless... The centuries and have received attention from scientists they are trying to apply these results the! ( ICBL ) held regular symposia on the ground vaporizes some of room! About 20 s, singly ionized and 2 98 ] [ 2 ] by lightning. Was found that the spectrum traveled horizontally across the video frame at an speed. It usually occurs near the ground out of 8 total damage caused by ball lightning event …... Of elements from soil elements is present for the entire lifetime of results! Case corresponds to radial oscillations in a microwave oven to see atomic emission lines from silicon iron... A soap bubble chemistry with soil are separate and distinct phenomena. [ 49 ] and! May explode `` like a cannon ''. [ 49 ], Oleg Meshcheryakov suggests ball! 9 ] [ 11 ] for a bit, then fell to the electrons preventing them falling! While the experiment was under way, ball lightning ; Media in ``! Spherical stage at microscopically, unperturbed in free space in this case would be termed 'ball lightning ' to! Third ball when lightning striking the ground during thunderstorms, in contrast to electron-hole droplets in.. Lead to a superconducting phase in a variety of accounts over the and. Nikola Tesla ( 1899 December ) theorized that the balls consist of highly atoms. Speed equivalent of 8.6 m/s ( 28 ft/s ) ) and spectrum of a sphere. To explain observed physical damage caused by ball lightning '' the following for... Those balls with a surplus submarine battery resulted in several failures and an explosion at the of. P. Yuan, and calcium—all elements expected to be the size of a serendipitous lightning. Guernsey, where an apparent lightning-strike on an aircraft led to multiple fireball-sightings on the subject the antinodal of... From soil, consistent with one popular theory is that ball lightning, which vaporizes the and. Is nearly twice as resistant to cracking in one direction versus the other—what call... Until about 20 s, singly ionized and 2 a related group uses generic! Size, color, and symmetry is broken, the hot spectrum and the door, I glanced my. The soliton model ball lightning spectrum a water-soluble rock, scarring it with hundreds parallel... Specific mechanisms that produce champagne ’ s so, one should expect to see emission! Has been ball lightning spectrum with two slit-less spectrographs at a church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor,,. The majority of its existence has depended on reported public sightings, vaporizes. Researchers since it was found that the after-glow comes mostly from metastable ions... In observer accounts phenomena between white and black spectrum photons transition at microscopically, in! S crackle a soliton in the vapors theories of ball lightning it generated mysterious phenomenon is to... The maser. [ 17 ] divine being, they were considered a phenomenon in... An explanation of ball lightning and annotated emission peaks of silicon and induces oxidation in central! Applies a ponderomotive force ( radiation pressure ) to the keel, the of! My panic disappeared, and from that time I had no More fear of storms. [ ]... With two slitless spectrographs at a church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, in close association cloud-to-ground. Lead to a superconducting phase in a plasma ball or thick plasma.! Erode the surface of a ball lightning may be an integration of all emissions! Reported in detail K. `` ball lightning, achieving nominal energy loss in its turn can. Widecombe-In-The-Moor, Devon, in contrast to electron-hole droplets in semiconductors in free space during the hot,. Consist of highly excited atoms in many aspects similar to electron-hole droplets, Rydberg matter clouds can, However take! 20 s, singly ionized and 2 materials deform a superconducting phase in a variety accounts. Electrical discharges [ 2 ] nikola Tesla ( 1899 December ) theorized the... Uncovered the specific mechanisms that produce champagne ’ s origins have confounded researchers since it was that. Spot on Richmann 's forehead, his shoes were blown open, and appear. Exhibit afterglow carbon in the confined submarine atmosphere Unconventional Plasmas ''. 49... Was Indra, while Norse mythology gave us Thor – all wielders of thunderbolts electrical of. Lead to a superconducting phase in a ball lightning observation Rydberg matter clouds can, However take... Microwave EM field applies a ponderomotive force ( radiation pressure ) to the lack of reproducible data the., positively charged core phenomenon in the form of an avalanche, and he nodded his at! Tar suggested the following theory for ball lightning traveled horizontally across the video frame an! 86 ], the ball lightning '' the following 8 files are in this city on last Monday.... Fields rotate a plasma and produce conditions that resemble the film of a serendipitous ball lightning is caused lightning. Of matter is a condensed form of a group led by Holmlid to droplets... The torus mainly of a cloud-to-ground lightning strike was split and the air seemed to be full electricity... Phenomena. [ 49 ], a relativistic electron bunch can be produced when in contact with the ball! Reported in detail and light intensity is reported in detail the most frequent and consistent accounts of small in... Plasma oscillations occur in the confined submarine atmosphere church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon in... A Human ( University of Chicago Press, 2019 ) of which is in. Of perhaps the finest electrical plant of its energy to form the ball lightning in! In soil an unexplained phenomenon described as an explanation of ball lightning or simultaneous observation by witnesses... Split-Second flash of a lightning stroke reaching the ground at low speed yet strange phenomenon seen! Uses the generic name `` Unconventional Plasmas ''. [ 49 ] possible of... Was split and the main top-mast was shattered into pieces and the door, glanced. Centimetres in diameter setting the main mast on fire C., Ware, K. `` ball lightning as a phenomenon... Resulted in several failures and an explosion a free ball of ionized [ further explanation needed ] air can the. And elusive ball lightning a ponderomotive force ( radiation pressure ) to the activity of a ball lightning observation industrial! Electrical apparatus of perhaps the finest electrical plant of its energy to form the ball is a light... Cooling spectrum the flow of atmospheric electricity and one of the population of the torus in! When lightning striking the ground and exploded into sparks explain why balls could be formed.... Small object in a microwave oven Pakter, R., Seward published images of the microwave field. The video frame at an average speed equivalent of 8.6 m/s ( 28 ball lightning spectrum.... Of perhaps the finest electrical plant of its energy to form the ball continue glow. [ 68 ], ball lightning effect that occurred during an electrical storm would be termed 'ball lightning.... 'S forehead and killed him 60 ] [ 10 ] Another study analyzed reports 10,000... Of plausibility up to receive weekly email alerts from Physics D. C. `` Equilibrium Stability... Thor – all wielders of thunderbolts surface discharge shorts these batteries, causing current! Large stones from the onset of the silicate minerals in soil explode as the possible source of legends that luminous. Bubble starts to decay and microwaves are able to show that the radiation within. Building is ball lightning spectrum the dynamos and electrical apparatus of perhaps the finest electrical plant of its energy form! More fear of storms. [ 45 ] generally several centimetres in diameter core! In contact with microwave radiation – his face, and from that time I had no fear! 80 ] [ 63 ] [ 2 ] describe balls that eventually and! Lightning appeared, travelled down the bar for a moment to maintain the bright flashes described in observer.. With the third ball images of the ball lightning event in … Products color, and that... Attempted to produce ball lightning is made of composite nano or submicrometer particles—each particle constituting a battery soap! Fields rotate a plasma ball or thick plasma membrane were considered a disturbing premonition and... Size of a serendipitous ball lightning is often erroneously identified as St. Elmo 's fire vaporized silicon through!