Weather watchers have been perplexed by Ball lightning, an enigmatic and unexplained type of lightning, for centuries and it still intrigues scientists today. Typically, the phenomenon is characterized as a lightning-spurred ball of light.
The ball can range in size from that of a golf ball to that of a football, and it usually flies above the ground. Its lifespan varies as well, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, with bigger, brighter balls often lasting longer.
Observations date back a very long time. The Mapuche cultures of Chile and Argentina have traditions about glowing balls, but the first recorded written mention of them is from an English priest in 1195. A “thick and black cloud, discharging a white material which developed into a spherical shape beneath the cloud, from which a blazing ball dropped towards the river,” was how he described it. Even Tsar Nicholas II claimed to have seen the occurrence as a little child at a chapel in St. Petersburg.
Ball lightning has been observed by 5% of the world’s population, according to a survey done in the 1960s for the US Atomic Energy Commission. This is around the same percentage of people who have witnessed a close-up strike of regular lightning.
Ball lightning is believed to exist by scientists, however, it is unclear how it manifests itself. Chinese scientists were attempting to film regular lightning in 2014 when they accidentally recorded ball lightning. Their measurements reveal that the ball has a combination of silicon, iron, and calcium atoms, which are all typical soil constituents.
This supports the hypothesis that silicon nanoparticle vapour is produced when lightning strikes soil. At comparatively low temperatures, these particles interact with the air to produce light and heat. It does not, however, account for reports of ball lightning entering aeroplane cockpits or through walls. It will need further investigation to finally solve this riddle. (Sciencefocus)
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