Ball lightning is a natural phenomenon that has been puzzling scientists for many years. There is no known cause of ball lightning. Ball lightning generally occurs during thunderstorms and it appears as orbs of light floating through the air. These balls of light can range anywhere from the size of a golf ball to beach ball size. There are many varying observations of the ball lightning since they are nearly impossible to study. Some say that they emit an “acird ozone odor” when they appear and can be seen in a variety of colors. When they disappear they can go quietly or disperse with a loud bang. When they encounter other electricity, such as tvs and microwaves, they can have a greater explosive ending and potentially start fires. Some theorize that their formation has to do with lightning striking the ground and vaporizing minerals which then link together as a silicon ball that is light enough to float on the air. The burning of the particles then emits light.
Personally, I think it would quite frightening to see an occurrence of ball lightning, largely because they’re so mysterious and unpredictable. After reading this article, I wonder how many house fires could have been caused as a result of ball lightning since it would be relatively impossible to trace. The articles say that there are reports of ball lightning that go back hundreds of years. As mysterious as this phenomenon is today, I can’t imagine what people of earlier times would have made of it. As scientists continue to study this and attempt to create it in the labs, I wonder if it would be possible to harness the energy these balls create, since lightning itself has so much energy. It would be very cool if scientists could understand this weather phenomenon, but seeing as how it is so unpredictable and immeasurable, ball lightning might always be a weather mystery.
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Mysterious Ball Lightning Created in Lab article
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