ball lightning
Spherical atmospheric discharge
Ball lightning is a rare atmospheric phenomenon in which a glowing, spherical mass of light appears during thunderstorms, drifting through the air for several seconds before vanishing—sometimes silently, sometimes with a pop or explosion.
Reports describe it entering buildings through windows or chimneys and moving erratically.
Its existence was long disputed by scientists, and its cause remains poorly understood: The farmer swore he saw ball lightning roll across his kitchen floor.
Violent weather with lightning
- stormSevere atmospheric disturbance
- cloudsAirborne water masses
- skyVisible overhead expanse
- thunderStorm's acoustic aftermath
weather · electricity · static · charge · ionization · ozone · electromagnetic · air
Not yet clarified
- anomalyDeparture from the expected
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- paranormalBeyond scientific explanation
UFO · folklore · sighting · witness · report · legend · supernatural · cryptic
Passing very quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- briefShort in duration
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- short-livedLasting only briefly
vanishing · instantaneous · seconds · dissipation · fading · sudden · unpredictable · erratic
Electrified matter state
- phenomenonExtraordinary observable occurrence
- physicsScience of matter and energy
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
hypothesis · study · observation · experiment · electromagnetic · ionization · energy · laboratory
Steady, soft light
- orbLuminous celestial body
- spherePerfectly round solid
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- incandescenceLight from heated objects
phosphorescence · luminescence · halo · corona · aura · shimmer · flicker · pulse
thunderstorm
Violent weather with lightning
thunder · weather · electricity · static · charge · ionization · ozone · electromagnetic · air · humidity
unexplained
Not yet clarified
- anomalyDeparture from the expected
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
paranormal · UFO · folklore · sighting · witness · report · legend · supernatural · cryptic · eerie
fleeting
Passing very quickly
short-lived · vanishing · instantaneous · seconds · dissipation · fading · sudden · unpredictable · erratic · floating
plasma
Electrified matter state
- phenomenonExtraordinary observable occurrence
- physicsScience of matter and energy
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
theory · hypothesis · study · observation · experiment · electromagnetic · ionization · energy · laboratory · Nikola Tesla
glow
Steady, soft light
incandescence · phosphorescence · luminescence · halo · corona · aura · shimmer · flicker · pulse · brightness
- phenomenanorthern lights, eclipse, earthquake, solar eclipse, volcanic eruption
- weather phenomenatornado, wind, hurricane, gust, blizzard
- Thunderstormsthunder, thunderstorm, thunderclap, thunder roll, thunder rumble
- Lightningbolt, flash, thunderbolt, cloud-to-ground, intracloud
- UnexplainedUFO, ghost sighting, Bigfoot sighting, UFO sighting, apparition
- Electrical Dischargesarc, spark, corona, electric arc, electric spark
ball lightningforked lightning
Zigzagging electrical sky discharge
lightning bolt · chain lightning · lightning strike · sheet lightning · heat lightning
ball, balls, lightning, fireball, basketball, volleyball, lightnings, fireballs, lightning rod