Ball lightning: Mystery or Reality?

"Ball lightning: Myth or Reality?"

Ball lightning is a very rare and unusual luminous electrical phenomenon of quasi-spherical shape (spherical, pear-shaped, ring-shaped, flame-like, and various other irregular forms), with a diameter of 20–40 cm, observed near thunderclouds. They typically move through the air, appearing to float or glide without any solid support, accompanied by hissing, whistling, or buzzing sounds. Their lifespan is typically a few seconds but can last up to 15 minutes, after which they either vanish quietly or explode. They maintain a constant luminosity throughout their existence, ranging in color from orange to red or a combination of blue and white.

There are several theories about the origin of ball lightning. One of the major challenges in ball lightning theory is explaining their relatively long lifespan. We will mention the newer theory of relativistic electrons (Wu, 2016), which suggests that a set of relativistic electrons can be formed at the top of a lightning stroke 🌩, causing strong microwave radiation. The microwave radiation further ionizes the surrounding air, and radiation pressure evacuates the resulting plasma, forming a spherical bubble in the plasma, which stably maintains the radiation, thus explaining their constant luminosity during their lifespan.

For more details, refer to the book "Atmospheric Electricity" by Assistant Professor Nemanja Kovacevic, recommended literature for master's students specializing in meteorology at the Faculty of Physics.