What Does Ball Lightning Look Like And Can It Fly Into The House, What To Do In This Case, Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Ball lightning: what it looks like and why it is dangerous

Ball lightning is an unusually rare and still not fully understood phenomenon. Nevertheless, it, like any other powerful electrical discharge, is a threat to life.

What is ball lightning

The nature of this phenomenon has not yet been studied even half. There are many theories and hypotheses explaining this phenomenon, but due to a lack of material, it has not yet been possible to confirm any of them.

The unusual shape is not the only feature of ball lightning. She is also characterized by unusual, seemingly conscious behavior. During World War II, pilots from different countries claimed to have seen unidentified glowing balls that flew along strange trajectories, sometimes speeding up and then slowing down. There is a known case when three fireballs attacked a crew member on the deck of a British ship in 1809. When his comrades tried to take the lifeless body, the luminous balls attacked and, fortunately, not fatally, and then flew away.

Eyewitnesses also met huge fireballs 3-4 meters in diameter, and tiny balls 5 cm in diameter

There is also more modern evidence - for example, in 2008, in the Kazan region, a glowing blue ball flew into an open window of a trolleybus. The conductor was able to push him to the other end of the cabin, where it was empty, with the validator. Lightning exploded there. All passengers, the conductor and the driver remained intact. Only the trolleybus itself was out of order. And in 2012, such a lightning appeared in an unknown way in the house of a resident of the Brest region. The woman claims that the doors and windows were locked. Moreover, no traces of damage to all possible entrances were found. The eyewitness decided not to make sudden movements, and the ball lightning smoothly floated over her head and was discharged into the wiring. Only repairs suffered in this incident - the walls were slightly charred at the place of discharge.

Despite hundreds of eyewitness accounts (both centuries old and modern), not all scientists are sure that ball lightning is a real phenomenon. Some are convinced that this phenomenon is just a hallucination. And there are still no clear photos and videos of ball lightning.

Video: ball lightning

Can ball lightning fly into a house

Judging by numerous statements - yes, it can. And neither glass will interfere with it (judging by the evidence, it can pass through it), nor a mosquito net. Moreover, the case in the Brest region proves that sometimes ball lightning can end up inside a room in an unknown way - as if it had arisen out of thin air. What to do in this case?

The main rule is not to make sudden movements. As history shows, this behavior will endanger your life - the ball can discharge right into you, which will end in disastrous results. The movement of ball lightning has not yet been fully understood, but most people are of the opinion that it moves with the help of air currents. Try not to create them - don't wave your hands, don't create drafts. If you are far enough away from the lightning, it is best not to move at all. If it formed very close to you, try to slowly and smoothly move towards the exit.

Here are some tips from eyewitnesses:

• watch the ball lightning closely. So you can predict the trajectory of its movement;
• Avoid proximity to metal objects, electrical outlets and wiring. Lightning is more likely to be attracted to them;
• be patient. Ball lightning usually disappears with a loud pop after a few minutes after its appearance, so it is better to wait for it to “self-destruct” than to try to push it away or drive it out.

Ball lightning is a dangerous and little-studied phenomenon. When faced with him, do not do stupid things and try to behave as calmly as possible.