Plasmoid "life". Ball lightning. Five of the most amazing and mysterious natural phenomena
Human fear most often comes from ignorance. Few people are afraid of ordinary lightning - a sparking electrical discharge - and everyone knows how to behave during a thunderstorm. But what is ball lightning, is it dangerous, and what to do if you encounter this phenomenon? What types of ball lightning are there? It is very easy to recognize ball lightning, despite the variety of its types. Usually it has, as you can easily guess, the shape of a ball, glowing like a 60-100 Watt light bulb. Much less common are lightning that looks like a pear, mushroom or drop, or such an exotic shape as a pancake, donut or lens. But the variety of colors is simply amazing: from transparent to black, but shades of yellow, orange and red are still in the lead. The color can be uneven, and sometimes ball lightning changes it like a chameleon. Talk about constant size plasma ball It’s also not necessary, it ranges from a few centimeters to several meters. But usually people encounter ball lightning with a diameter of 10-20 centimeters. The worst thing about describing lightning is its temperature and mass. According to scientists, the temperature can range from 100 to 1000 o C. But at the same time, people who encountered ball lightning at arm's length rarely noted any heat emanating from them, although according to logic, they should have received burns . The same mystery is with mass: no matter what size the lightning is, it weighs no more than 5-7 grams.
What is said about the properties of ball lightning on Wikipedia:
Numerous observations of the behavior of ball lightning made it possible to determine the basic physical properties of ball lightning (BL):
- Ball or pear shape;
- Phenomenal appearance. Can occur unexpectedly in a wide variety of conditions. There has been a recorded case of emergence even from a nail in the wall;
- Wide range of fixed sizes, from 1 cm to 27 m in diameter;
- Self-luminescence with a power of 100-200 Watts, visible even in the daytime;
- Cold surface, that is, the ball does not emit heat;
- Lifetime from 1 second to 2 minutes;
- Passing through a substance such as glass. Drops of pouring rain pass through the BL without affecting anyone;
- Strong electromagnetic radiation in an unusually wide range of wavelengths from fractions of a micrometer to meters;
- Presence of electric and magnetic fields;
- The ability to levitate - lift and move objects;
- Ability to deform and penetrate through small holes;
- Unpredictability of movement, can even move against the wind;
- Free soaring at any altitude;
- Unusually high internal energy;
- Ability to move along the surface of metal objects;
- Ability to stick to metal objects;
- Rotation of air and dust inside the CMM;
- Ability to divide;
- The ability to explode spontaneously or upon touching objects. There are cases when after an explosion the BL does not disappear;
- Explosions cause damage and burn out. for the most part metal parts of objects, but dielectric parts remain intact;
- Ball lightning can be invisible, but when exposed to force, for example, by ultraviolet radiation, it begins to glow.
Ball lightning- a glowing plasma ball floating in the air, a uniquely rare natural phenomenon. To date, no unified physical theory of the occurrence and course of this phenomenon has been presented; there are also scientific theories that reduce the phenomenon to hallucinations. There are about 400 theories that explain the phenomenon, but none of them have received absolute recognition in the academic environment. In laboratory conditions, similar but short-term phenomena were obtained in several different ways, so the question about the nature of ball lightning remains open. At the end of the 20th century, not a single experimental stand had been created in which this natural phenomenon would be artificially reproduced in accordance with the descriptions of eyewitnesses of ball lightning.
It is widely believed that ball lightning is a phenomenon of electrical origin, of natural nature, that is, it is a special type of lightning that exists for a long time and has the shape of a ball capable of moving along an unpredictable trajectory, sometimes surprising to eyewitnesses.
Traditionally, the reliability of many eyewitness accounts of ball lightning remains in doubt, including:
- the very fact of observing at least some phenomenon;
- the fact of observing ball lightning, and not some other phenomenon;
- individual details of the phenomenon given in an eyewitness account.
Doubts about the reliability of many evidence complicate the study of the phenomenon, and also create the ground for the appearance of various speculative and sensational materials allegedly related to this phenomenon.
According to eyewitnesses, ball lightning usually appears in thundery, stormy weather; often, but not necessarily, along with regular lightning. But there is plenty of evidence of its observation in sunny weather. Most often, it seems to “emerge” from the conductor or is generated by ordinary lightning, sometimes it descends from the clouds, in rare cases it suddenly appears in the air or, as eyewitnesses report, can come out of some object (tree, pillar).
Due to the fact that the appearance of ball lightning as a natural phenomenon occurs rarely, and attempts to artificially reproduce it on the scale of a natural phenomenon fail, the main material for studying ball lightning is the testimony of random eyewitnesses unprepared for observations. In some cases, modern eyewitnesses took photographs and/or videos of the phenomenon, but the low quality of the footage does not allow their use for scientific purposes.
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Ball lightning and science
Until 2010, the question of the existence of ball lightning was fundamentally irrefutable. As a result of this, and also under the pressure of the presence of many eyewitnesses, it was impossible to deny the existence of ball lightning in scientific publications.
Thus, in the preface to the bulletin of the RAS Commission for Combating Pseudoscience, “In Defense of Science,” No. 5, 2009, the following formulations were used:
Of course, there is still a lot of uncertainty about ball lightning: it does not want to fly into scientists’ laboratories equipped with appropriate instruments.
The theory of the origin of ball lightning, which meets Popper's criterion, was developed in 2010 by Austrian scientists Joseph Peer and Alexander Kendl from the University of Innsbruck. They published in the scientific journal Physics Letters A the assumption that evidence of ball lightning can be interpreted as a manifestation of phosphenes - visual sensations without exposure to light on the eye, that is, ball lightning is a hallucination.
Their calculations show that the magnetic fields of certain repeated lightning strikes induce electric fields in the neurons of the visual cortex, which appear to humans as ball lightning. Phosphenes can occur in people up to 100 meters from a lightning strike.
Observation history
In the first half of the 19th century, the French physicist, astronomer and naturalist François Arago, perhaps the first in the history of civilization, collected and systematized all the evidence known at that time for the appearance of ball lightning. His book described 30 cases of observation of ball lightning. The statistics are small, and it is not surprising that many 19th-century physicists, including Kelvin and Faraday, during their lifetime were inclined to believe that this was either an optical illusion or a phenomenon of a completely different, non-electric nature. However, the number of cases, the detail of the description of the phenomenon and the reliability of the evidence increased, which attracted the attention of scientists, including prominent physicists.
In the late 1940s, Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa worked on an explanation of ball lightning.
A great contribution to the work on observing and describing ball lightning was made by the Soviet scientist I. P. Stakhanov, who, together with S. L. Lopatnikov, published an article on ball lightning in the journal “Knowledge is Power” in the 1970s. At the end of this article he attached a questionnaire and asked eyewitnesses to send him their detailed memories of this phenomenon. As a result, he accumulated extensive statistics - more than a thousand cases, which allowed him to generalize some of the properties of ball lightning and propose his own theoretical model of ball lightning.
Historical evidence
Thunderstorm at Widecombe Moor
On October 21, 1638, lightning appeared during a thunderstorm in the church of the village of Widecombe Moor, Devon County, England. Eyewitnesses said that a huge fireball about two and a half meters in diameter flew into the church. He knocked several large stones and wooden beams out of the church walls. The ball then allegedly broke benches, broke many windows and filled the room with thick, dark smoke that smelled of sulfur. Then it split in half; the first ball flew out, breaking another window, the second disappeared somewhere inside the church. As a result, 4 people were killed and 60 were injured. The phenomenon was explained by the “coming of the devil”, or “hell fire” and was blamed on two people who dared to play cards during the sermon.
Incident on board the Catherine and Marie
In December 1726, some British newspapers published an excerpt from a letter from one John Howell, who was on board the sloop Catherine and Marie. “On August 29, we were sailing along the bay off the coast of Florida, when suddenly a ball flew out of part of the ship. He smashed our mast into 10,000 pieces, if that were even possible, and smashed the beam to pieces. The ball also tore out three boards from the side plating, from the underwater plating, and three from the deck; killed one man, wounded the hand of another, and if it had not been for the heavy rains, our sails would have simply been destroyed by fire.”
Incident on board the Montag
The impressive size of lightning is reported from the words of the ship's doctor Gregory in 1749. Admiral Chambers, aboard the Montag, went on deck around noon to measure the ship's coordinates. He spotted a fairly large blue fireball about three miles away. The order was immediately given to lower the topsails, but the balloon was moving very quickly, and before the course could be changed, it took off almost vertically, and being not more than forty or fifty yards above the rig, disappeared with a powerful explosion, which is described as the simultaneous discharge of a thousand guns. The top of the mainmast was destroyed. Five people were knocked down, one of them received multiple bruises. The ball left behind a strong smell of sulfur; Before the explosion, its size reached the size of a millstone.
Death of Georg Richmann
In 1753, Georg Richmann, a full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, died from a strike by ball lightning. He invented a device for studying atmospheric electricity, so when at the next meeting he heard that a thunderstorm was approaching, he urgently went home with an engraver to capture the phenomenon. During the experiment, a bluish-orange ball flew out of the device and hit the scientist directly in the forehead. There was a deafening roar, similar to the shot of a gun. Richman fell dead, and the engraver was stunned and knocked down. He later described what happened. A small dark crimson spot remained on the scientist’s forehead, his clothes were singed, his shoes were torn. The door frames were shattered into splinters, and the door itself was blown off its hinges. Later, M.V. Lomonosov personally inspected the scene of the incident.
The case of the USS Warren Hastings
One British publication reported that in 1809 the ship Warren Hastings was “attacked by three fireballs” during a storm. The crew saw one of them go down and kill a man on the deck. The one who decided to take the body was hit by the second ball; he was knocked off his feet and had minor burns on his body. The third ball killed another person. The crew noted that after the incident there was a disgusting smell of sulfur hanging over the deck.
Description in the book “Lightning and Glow” by Wilfried de Fonvielle
The book by the French author reports about 150 encounters with ball lightning: “Apparently, ball lightning is strongly attracted by metal objects, so they often end up near balcony railings, water pipes and gas pipes. They do not have a specific color, their shade can be different, for example in Köthen in the Duchy of Anhalt the lightning was green. M. Colon, deputy chairman of the Paris Geological Society, saw the ball slowly descend along the bark of a tree. After touching the surface of the ground, it jumped and disappeared without an explosion. On September 10, 1845, in the Corretse Valley, lightning flew into the kitchen of one of the houses in the village of Salagnac. The ball rolled through the entire room without causing any damage to the people there. Having reached the barn adjacent to the kitchen, it suddenly exploded and killed a pig accidentally locked there. The animal was not familiar with the wonders of thunder and lightning, so it dared to smell in the most obscene and inappropriate way. Lightning does not move very quickly: some have even seen them stop, but this makes the balls cause no less destruction. The lightning that flew into the church in the city of Stralsund, during the explosion, threw out several small balls, which also exploded like artillery shells.”
Remarque in literature of 1864
In the 1864 edition of A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, Ebenezer Cobham Brewer discusses "ball lightning." In his description, lightning appears as a slow-moving fireball of explosive gas that sometimes descends to the ground and moves along its surface. It is also noted that the balls can split into smaller balls and explode “like a cannon shot.”
Other evidence On April 30, 1877, ball lightning flew into the central temple of Amristar (India) - Harmandir Sahib. Several people observed the phenomenon until the ball left the room through the front door. This incident is depicted on the Darshani Deodi gate.
On November 22, 1894, ball lightning appeared in the city of Golden, Colorado (USA), which lasted for an unexpectedly long time. As the Golden Globe newspaper reported: “On Monday night a beautiful and strange phenomenon could be observed in the city. A strong wind rose and the air seemed to be filled with electricity. Those who happened to be near the school that night could see fireballs flying one after another for half an hour. This building houses the electrical and dynamos of what is probably the finest plant in the entire state. Apparently, last Monday, a delegation came straight from the clouds to the prisoners of the dynamos. Definitely, this visit was a great success, as was the frantic game they started together.”
In July 1907 at west coast In Australia, the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste was struck by ball lightning. Lighthouse keeper Patrick Baird lost consciousness, and the phenomenon was described by his daughter Ethel.
An incident from the life of Aleister Crowley
The famous British occultist Aleister Crowley spoke of a phenomenon he called “electricity in the form of a ball,” which he observed in 1916 during a thunderstorm at Lake Pasconi in New Hampshire. He had taken refuge in a small country house when, “in silent amazement, I noticed that a dazzling ball of electric fire, three to six inches in diameter, stopped at a distance of six inches from my right knee. I looked at it, and it suddenly exploded with a sharp sound that could not be confused with what was raging outside: the noise of a thunderstorm, the sound of hail, or streams of water and the cracking of wood. My hand was closest to the ball, and she felt only a weak blow" [
]
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There is a reference to ball lightning in a series of children's books by author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although the stories in the books are considered fictional, the author insists that they really happened in her life. According to this description, during a snowstorm in winter, three balls appeared near the cast-iron stove. They appeared near the chimney, then rolled across the floor and disappeared. At the same time, Carolina Ingalls, the writer’s mother, was chasing them with a broom.
Contemporary evidence
During World War II, pilots reported strange phenomena that could be interpreted as ball lightning. They saw small balls moving along an unusual trajectory. These phenomena became known as foo fighters.
During World War II, submariners repeatedly and consistently reported small ball lightning occurring in the confined space of a submarine. They appeared when the battery was turned on, turned off, or incorrectly turned on, or when high-inductance electric motors were disconnected or incorrectly connected. Attempts to reproduce the phenomenon using a submarine's spare battery ended in failure and explosion.
On August 6, 1944, in the Swedish city of Uppsala, ball lightning passed through a closed window, leaving behind a round hole about 5 cm in diameter. The phenomenon was not only observed local residents, but also the lightning tracking system of Uppsala University, which is located in the Department of Electricity and Lightning Studies, also worked.
In 1954, physicist Tar Domokos observed lightning in a severe thunderstorm. He described what he saw in sufficient detail: “It happened on a warm summer day on Margaret Island on the Danube. It was somewhere around 25-27 degrees Celsius, the sky was quickly overcast, and a strong thunderstorm was approaching. Thunder was heard in the distance. The wind rose and it began to rain. The storm front was moving very quickly. There was nothing nearby where one could hide; nearby there was only a lonely bush (about 2 m high), which was bent by the wind towards the ground. The humidity rose to almost 100% due to the rain. Suddenly, right in front of me (about 50 meters away) lightning struck the ground (at a distance of 2.5 m from the bush). I have never heard such a roar in my life. It was a very bright channel 25-30 cm in diameter, it was exactly perpendicular to the surface of the earth. It was dark for about two seconds, and then at a height of 1.2 m a beautiful ball with a diameter of 30-40 cm appeared. It appeared at a distance of 2.5 m from the place of the lightning strike, so this point of impact was right in the middle between the ball and bush. The ball sparkled like a small sun and rotated counterclockwise. The axis of rotation was parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the line “bush - place of impact - ball”. The ball also had one or two reddish curls or tails that extended to the right back (to the north), but not as bright as the sphere itself. They poured into the ball a fraction of a second later (~0.3 s). The ball itself moved slowly and at a constant speed horizontally along the same line from the bush. Its colors were clear and its brightness was consistent across its entire surface. There was no more rotation, the movement occurred at a constant height and at a constant speed. I didn't notice any more changes in size. About three more seconds passed - the ball instantly disappeared, and completely silently, although due to the noise of the thunderstorm I might not have heard it.” The author himself suggests that the temperature difference inside and outside the channel of ordinary lightning, with the help of a gust of wind, formed a kind of vortex ring, from which the observed ball lightning was then formed.
On August 17, 1978, a group of five Soviet climbers (Kavunenko, Bashkirov, Zybin, Koprov, Korovkin) descended from the top of Mount Trapezium and stopped for the night at an altitude of 3900 meters. According to V. Kavunenko, an international master of sports in mountaineering, ball lightning of a bright yellow color the size of a tennis ball appeared in a closed tent, which for a long time moved chaotically from body to body, making a crackling noise. One of the athletes, Oleg Korovkin, died on the spot from lightning contact with the solar plexus area, the rest were able to call for help and were taken to the Pyatigorsk city hospital with a large number of 4th degree burns of unexplained origin. The incident was described by Valentin Akkuratov in the article “Meeting with a Fireball” in the January 1982 issue of the Tekhnika-Molodezhi magazine.
On July 10, 2011, in the Czech city of Liberec, ball lightning appeared in the control building of the city emergency services. A ball with a two-meter tail jumped up to the ceiling directly from the window, fell to the floor, jumped up to the ceiling again, flew 2-3 meters, and then fell to the floor and disappeared. This frightened the employees, who smelled burning wiring and believed that a fire had started. All computers froze (but did not break), communications equipment was out of order overnight until it was repaired. In addition, one monitor was destroyed.
On August 4, 2012, ball lightning scared a villager in the Pruzhansky district of the Brest region. As the newspaper “Rayonnaya Budni” reports, ball lightning flew into the house during a thunderstorm. Moreover, as the owner of the house, Nadezhda Vladimirovna Ostapuk, told the publication, the windows and doors in the house were closed and the woman could not understand how the fireball entered the room. Fortunately, the woman realized that she shouldn’t make any sudden movements, and just sat there, watching the lightning. Ball lightning flew over her head and discharged into the electrical wiring on the wall. As a result of the unusual natural phenomenon, no one was injured, only the interior decoration of the room was damaged, the publication reports.
Artificial reproduction of the phenomenon
Review of approaches for artificially reproducing ball lightning
Since the appearance of ball lightning can be traced to a clear connection with other manifestations of atmospheric electricity (for example, ordinary lightning), most experiments were carried out according to the following scheme: a gas discharge was created (the glow of gas discharges is widely known), and then conditions were sought when the luminous discharge could exist in the form of a spherical body. But researchers experience only short-term gas discharges of a spherical shape, lasting a maximum of a few seconds, which does not correspond to eyewitness accounts of natural ball lightning.
List of claims about artificial reproduction of ball lightning
Several claims have been made about producing ball lightning in laboratories, but these claims have generally been met with skepticism in the academic community. The question remains open: “Are the phenomena observed in laboratory conditions really identical to the natural phenomenon of ball lightning?”
- The first detailed studies of a luminous electrodeless discharge were carried out only in 1942 by the Soviet electrical engineer Babat: he managed to obtain a spherical gas discharge inside a low-pressure chamber for a few seconds.
- Kapitsa was able to obtain a spherical gas discharge at atmospheric pressure in a helium environment. Additions of various organic compounds changed the brightness and color of the glow.
Theoretical explanations of the phenomenon
In our age, when physicists know what happened in the first seconds of the existence of the Universe, and what is happening in yet undiscovered black holes, we still have to admit with surprise that the main elements of antiquity - air and water - still remain a mystery to us.
I. P. Stakhanov
Most theories agree that the cause of the formation of any ball lightning is associated with the passage of gases through an area with a large difference in electrical potential, which causes the ionization of these gases and their compression into a ball [ ] .
Experimental testing of existing theories is difficult. Even if we consider only assumptions published in serious scientific journals, the number of theoretical models that describe the phenomenon and answer these questions with varying degrees of success is quite large.
Classification of theories
- Based on the location of the energy source that supports the existence of ball lightning, theories can be divided into two classes: those suggesting an external source*, and theories that believe that the source is located inside ball lightning**.
Review of existing theories
- S.P. Kurdyumov's hypothesis on the existence of localized dissipative structures in nonequilibrium media: Chapter 5. “...The simplest manifestations of localization processes in nonlinear media are vortices... They have a certain size, lifetime, can spontaneously arise when flowing around bodies, appear and disappear in liquids and gases in intermittency modes close to a turbulent state. An example is solitons arising in various nonlinear media. Even more difficult (from the point of view of certain mathematical approaches) are dissipative structures... in certain areas of the medium, localization of processes in the form of solitons, autowaves, dissipative structures can take place... it is important to highlight... the localization of processes on the medium in the form of structures having a certain shape, architecture.”
- Kapitsa P.L.'s hypothesis about the resonant nature of ball lightning in an external field: a standing electromagnetic wave arises between the clouds and the ground, and when it reaches a critical amplitude, a breakdown of the air occurs in some place (most often, closer to the ground), and a gas gas is formed discharge. In this case, ball lightning appears to be “strung” on the field lines of a standing wave and will move along conducting surfaces. The standing wave is then responsible for the energy supply of ball lightning. ( “... With a sufficient electric field voltage, conditions should arise for an electrodeless breakdown, which, through ionization resonance absorption by the plasma, should develop into a luminous ball with a diameter equal to approximately a quarter of the wavelength”).
- Shironosov V. G. hypothesis: a self-consistent resonant model of ball lightning is proposed based on the works and hypotheses of: S. P. Kurdyumova (on the existence of localized dissipative structures in nonequilibrium media); Kapitsa P.L. (on the resonant nature of ball lightning in an external field). The resonant model of ball lightning by P. L. Kapitsa, while explaining many things most logically, did not explain the main thing - the reasons for the emergence and long-term existence of intense short-wave electromagnetic oscillations during a thunderstorm. According to the theory put forward, inside ball lightning, in addition to the short-wave electromagnetic oscillations assumed by P. L. Kapitsa, there are additional significant magnetic fields of tens of MegaOersteds. To a first approximation, ball lightning can be considered as a self-stable plasma - “holding” itself in its own resonant variables and constant magnetic fields. The resonant self-consistent model of ball lightning made it possible to explain not only its many mysteries and features qualitatively and quantitatively, but also, in particular, to outline a path for the experimental production of ball lightning and similar self-stable plasma resonance formations controlled by electromagnetic fields. It is interesting to note that the temperature of such a self-retaining plasma in the understanding of chaotic motion will be “close” to zero, since we are dealing with a strictly ordered synchronous motion of charged particles. Accordingly, the lifetime of such ball lightning (resonant system) is long and proportional to its quality factor.
- A fundamentally different hypothesis is that of B. M. Smirnov**, who has been studying the problem of ball lightning for many years. In his theory, the core of ball lightning is an interwoven cellular structure, something like an airgel, that provides a strong frame with low weight. Only the threads of the frame are threads of plasma, not of a solid body. And the energy reserve of ball lightning is entirely hidden in the enormous surface energy of such a microporous structure. Thermodynamic calculations based on this model, in principle, do not contradict the observed data.
- Another theory** explains the entire set of observed phenomena by thermochemical effects occurring in saturated water vapor in the presence of a strong electric field. The energy of ball lightning here is determined by the heat of chemical reactions involving water molecules and their ions. The author of the theory is confident that it provides a clear answer to the mystery of ball lightning.
- The next theory suggests that ball lightning is heavy positive and negative air ions formed during a strike by ordinary lightning, the recombination of which is prevented by their hydrolysis. Under the influence of electrical forces, they gather into a ball and can coexist for quite a long time until their water “coat” collapses. This also explains the fact that the color of ball lightning is different and its direct dependence on the time of existence of ball lightning itself - the rate of destruction of the water “coats” and the beginning of the process of avalanche recombination.
- An unexpected approach to explaining the nature of ball lightning has been proposed over the past six years by V.P. Torchigin, according to which ball lightning is an incoherent optical spatial soliton, the curvature of which is non-zero. Translated into more accessible language, ball lightning is a thin layer of highly compressed air in which ordinary intense white light circulates in all possible directions. This light, due to the electrostrictive pressure it creates, ensures air compression. In turn, the compressed air acts as a light guide, which prevents the emission of light into free space [ ] . We can say that ball lightning is a self-limiting intense light or light bubble that arose from ordinary linear lightning [ ] . Like an ordinary light beam, a bubble of light in the earth's atmosphere is displaced in the direction of the refractive index of the air in which it is located.
see also
- Commission for the Fight against Pseudoscience and Falsification of Scientific Research
Notes
- Cen, Jianyong; Yuan, Ping; Xue, Simin (17 January 2014). "Observation of the Optical and Spectral Characteristics of Ball Lightning". Physical Review Letters (American Physical Society) 112 (035001)
Every day a person faces unusual phenomena nature. Some are dangerous. Others are so beautiful that they take your breath away. Rare, but therefore only more curious, phenomena also occur, such as ball lightning or the northern lights. Their attractive power has given rise to a lot of myths and legends. RG tried to figure out how these miracles actually form with the help of science.
Lightning from a socket
Even simple (linear) lightning is an incompletely studied phenomenon, while ball lightning is a true mystery even at the current level of scientific development.
The myths and legends of antiquity were represented in a variety of guises, but most often in the form of monsters with fiery eyes. The first documentary evidence of this phenomenon dates back to the times of the Roman Empire. And in Russian archives it was first mentioned in 1663: a “denunciation from priest Ivanishche” from the village of Novye Ergi came to one of the monasteries, which reported that “... fire fell to the ground in many courtyards, and on the paths, and along mansion, like a torrent of grief, and people ran from him, and he rode after them, but didn’t burn anyone, and then rose up into the clouds.”
Numerous eyewitnesses usually describe ball lightning this way: a bright glowing ball, unconnected to any source of electricity, moves both horizontally and chaotically. In rare cases, lightning “sticks,” for example, to wires and moves along them. Often the ball enters a closed room through a gap smaller than its diameter. Lightning disappears as strangely as it appears - it can explode, or it can simply go out. Another mystery is that, being a heated gas, lightning does not mix with the surrounding atmosphere, but has a fairly clear “ball” boundary.
Lightning lasts approximately 10 seconds. When moving, it often makes a soft crackling or hissing noise. And its most common colors are red, orange, yellow, white and blue. “In general, the color of ball lightning is not its characteristic feature and, in particular, does not say anything about its temperature, as well as its composition. Most likely, it is determined by the presence of certain impurities,” he explains in his book on the nature of ball lightning , Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Igor Stakhanov.
The luminous flux from ball lightning is on average comparable to that emitted by an electric lamp.
The amazing thing about ball lightning is that it emits almost no heat at all. According to experts, people are misled by the intense glow: a person sees a “hot” ball and feels heat, which in fact is not there. Often ball lightning passes at a distance of 10-20 centimeters from parts of the body unprotected by clothing, for example from the face, without causing any consequences. However, with direct contact with the object, damage is still possible: it happened that the ball flew out of the window and burned a curtain or melted metal objects. This evidence, scientists assure, speaks only about the possibility of releasing significant energy, but not about the high temperature of the substance of the lightning itself.
The study of this mysterious phenomenon is complicated by the fact that it is almost impossible to obtain lightning in laboratory conditions, although attempts have been made since the time of Nikola Tesla. According to the researchers, in their work they can often rely only on the testimony of eyewitnesses, of which, by the way, there are many. In Russia alone there are tens of thousands of people who have observed ball lightning with their own eyes. However, only a small part of witnesses can tell about its origins.
It is sometimes claimed that a luminous ball appears at the branching point of a linear lightning channel. It often appears from conductors - from a telephone set, from a panel with meters, from an outlet (the most common option described by eyewitnesses), and so on. Moreover, artificial balls arise, just like natural ones: where significant charges accumulate that cannot be neutralized. A similar process, for example, occurs during a short circuit.
“The slow spreading of these charges leads to the crowning or appearance of St. Elmo’s fire, while the rapid spreading leads to the appearance of ball lightning,” explains Stakhanov.
So, according to research by physicists, “ball lightning is a conducting medium with the density of air, at a temperature close to room temperature. Its molecules are metastable and release energy, which serves as a source of radiated heat and glow.”
There are several more interesting theories about the origin of ball lightning. Thus, a number of researchers suggest that such lightning is a plasmoid, that is, a volume filled with high-temperature plasma held by its own magnetic field. The same magnetic field that prevents plasma particles from flying away can isolate it from the surrounding air and prevent the rapid dissipation of energy. Opponents of this idea say: the problem of ball lightning has nothing to do with the implementation of controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Scientists also suggest that ball lightning may consist of either neutral molecules in the ground state or molecules excited to metastable levels. This is the so-called chemical hypothesis. Thus, Boris Smirnov, an outstanding scientist in the field of atomic physics, suggests that lightning energy is contained in ozone and is released during its decomposition. To obtain higher concentrations of ozone, according to Smirnov's theory, excitation of oxygen by lightning current is required.
Heavenly fire
The rays of the aurora cover the entire sky... Incredibly beautiful the overflows will not leave anyone indifferent - even experienced researchers never cease to be amazed by this amazing natural phenomenon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the aurora is typical for Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland and the polar part of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. You can also observe the aurora in the Southern Hemisphere, for example in Antarctica, and less often in mid-latitudes.
There are a great many myths about this phenomenon. So, according to the legend of the inhabitants of the tundra, the northern lights are a fire that was lit by an eagle to help the grandfather and grandson, who were looking for a dog wounded while hunting in the pitch darkness. The radiance illuminates the path for those who want to do a good deed. In Norse mythology, the northern lights are a harbinger of bad weather. And the Vikings identified this natural phenomenon with the god Odin.
Although the phrase “northern lights” is more common, there are also southern aurora. Until recently, it was believed that the auroras at the South and North Poles are identical. But when they began to observe it from space, it was discovered that in many characteristics - configuration, intensity, glow - they differ.
The source of the glow is the solar wind: a stream of charged particles (mostly protons and neutrons) that the sun emits into space. Solar particles enter the magnetosphere through the polar regions of the Earth and, if the energy charge is sufficient, they pass into the atmosphere, where they collide with gas atoms - this is how the glow occurs. At an altitude of about two hundred kilometers, oxygen atoms glow red, while those below glow green. The colors of the aurora depend on the elements involved in its formation. Thus, nitrogen will glow with reddish or bluish hues.
On February 14, 2011, a strong flare was recorded on the Sun. The activity of the star has increased. Several photographs were taken from the International Space Station that recorded the curious consequences of these flares - the aurora at an atypical altitude of 400 kilometers (at a traditional altitude of 70-80 kilometers for the glow).
The Northern Lights are a visible manifestation of space weather: the Sun is calm - there are no auroras, spots or flames appear on the Sun - wait for lights on Earth. Despite the fact that the nature of this natural phenomenon has been studied quite well, people have not yet learned to predict its occurrence with one hundred percent probability.
By the way, the aurora is not only visible, but also heard. Northern tribes have long noticed that during the period when the sky is colored with lights, some people begin to behave strangely: they talk to non-existent interlocutors or completely turn off from the outside world. Scientists explained this phenomenon by low-frequency electromagnetic waves generated by the northern lights. They emit in the range of 8-13 hertz, which is similar to the beta and alpha rhythms of the brain. The human ear cannot perceive infrasound (the noise of the aurora arc becomes audible only when magnified 2 thousand times), but it can have the most unpredictable effects on the brain and cardiovascular system.
Despite the reasoned explanation, eyewitnesses who observed the aurora often say that it sounds exactly like something like a hissing sound. The most plausible explanation for this mysterious phenomenon, scientists believe, is mutual interference in the brain. When the optic nerve is close to the auditory nerve, interference can occur between them, causing a person to experience sound when it is not actually heard.
An interesting fact is that auroras can occur on other planets solar system, having an atmosphere and a magnetic field: on Venus, Saturn and Jupiter.
Deadly weather
For unknown reasons, once every three to seven years the trade winds suddenly weaken, the balance is upset, and the warm waters of the western basin rush east, creating one of the strongest warm currents in the World Ocean. Over a vast area in the eastern Pacific Ocean, in the tropical and central equatorial parts, there is a sharp increase in the temperature of the surface layer of water. This is the onset of El Niño. Drought and rain, hurricanes, tornadoes and snowfalls are its main companions.
This meteorological phenomenon, according to scientists, affects almost every inhabitant of the Planet. It took scientists more than a hundred years to understand the true strength of El Niño.
In the spring of 1998, Southern California was hit by torrential rains that did not stop. At the same time, Australian Queensland was suffering from the exact opposite problem - an unprecedented drought. And these are just two examples of the natural anomalies that swept the world that year. Peru and Kenya suffered from floods and subsequent cholera, massive Forest fires and thick smog caused by drought in Indonesia.... The weather seemed to be out of control, but scientists were sure: all of these were links in one chain. Then a phenomenon was discovered that had been known to fishermen for thousands of years, but had not yet been considered from a scientific point of view.
The coast of Peru is considered one of the richest regions in fish. However, with a periodicity of several years, warm current, after which the marine life characteristic of these places disappears, rains begin, and grass grows wildly on dry soils. It always happens at the same time of year - around Christmas. That's why mysterious phenomenon It's called El Niño, which means "boy" and the capitalization refers to the Christ child.
Until the 90s of the 19th century, the Peruvian anomaly did not worry the world's minds. Then a British scientist named Herbert Walker became interested in a problem that existed in the largest colony of the empire - in India: there were no monsoon rains here in 1877. The famine claimed 5 million lives. The tragedy occurred again in 1899. The British government has tasked scientists with predicting the rainy seasons. Walker found out that it's all about atmospheric pressure: when it increases in the central part of the Pacific Ocean - in Indonesia and Northern Australia it goes down. And vice versa. Thus, the existence of oscillations (fluctuations in properties) in atmospheric pressure with a periodicity of 3-5 years was proven.
It was a real breakthrough, but contemporaries criticized the British idea. It took half a century and a little luck for the discovery to be reborn.
In 1957, according to the UN program in Pacific Ocean installed several buoys to change temperature fluctuations. Just this year there was a major El Niño. Thus, completely by accident, unique data about this phenomenon were obtained. Scientists have discovered that changes off the coast of Peru are not local in nature, and that during the El Niño period, warm layers of water from the Indonesian region move across the ocean and reach the Peruvian coast, and vice versa.
In the 1960s, the Norwegian scientist Jakob Bjerknis, who had headed the meteorological department of the University of California since 1940, collaborated with tuna fishing commissions: he studied periods of fish activity and their susceptibility to climate change. The researcher collected all available data and for the first time linked changes in surface water temperatures with changes in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
Under normal conditions, warm waters remain in the western Pacific Basin and trade winds blow from east to west. This creates a low pressure zone around Indonesia, causing clouds and precipitation. But during El Niño the picture is exactly the opposite. This shift causes flooding in Peru, drought in Australia and hurricanes in California.
El Niño has the power to change even the course of history. Scientists have found several confirmations of this: when, due to El Niño, the winter in Europe turned out to be harsh, starving peasants began to rebel - this is how the French Revolution began; in 1587-89, the Spanish Armada was defeated not by the British fleet, but by the same notorious El Niño, changing the prevailing direction of the wind that filled the sails of the Spaniards; Even the sinking of the Titanic is blamed on this weather phenomenon, which created unusually cold conditions in the north Atlantic.
Sun illusionist
Parhelium is a form of halo, an optical phenomenon in which a ring of light forms around a light source. During parhelion, one or more additional false luminaries are observed in the sky. It is believed that this phenomenon is most often mistaken for a UFO. Indeed, in appearance it looks a little like the common image of flying saucers. In ancient times, the halo, like many other celestial phenomena, was attributed the mystical significance of signs, to which there is a lot of chronicle evidence from different parts of the world. Thus, in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” it is said that before the advance of the Polovtsians and the capture of Igor, “four suns shone over the Russian land,” which was perceived as a sign of an impending great misfortune.
With a halo, the sun appears as if it is being seen through a large lens. In fact, this is rather the effect of millions of lenses, which are ice crystals. Water freezing in upper layers atmosphere, forms microscopic flat, hexagonal ice crystals. They gradually sink to the ground, while for the most part they are oriented parallel to its surface. The gaze passes through this very plane formed by crystals that refract sunlight. Under favorable circumstances, false suns can be observed: the luminary is in the center, and a pair of clearly visible twins are at the edges. Sometimes a light, slightly rainbow-colored circle appears, encircling the sun.
By the way, clouds are not a necessary condition for the appearance of a halo. It can also be observed in a clear sky, if there are many individual ice crystals floating high in the atmosphere. This happens on frosty winter days in clear weather.
A light horizontal circle may appear around the sun, encircling the sky parallel to the horizon. "Special experiments that scientists have repeatedly carried out show: this circle is the result of reflection of the sun's rays from the side faces of hexagonal ice crystals floating in the air in a vertical position. The sun's rays fall on such crystals and are reflected from them as from a mirror. And since this If the mirror is special, it is made up of an innumerable mass of ice particles and, moreover, for some time it appears to lie in the plane of the horizon, then a person sees the reflection of the solar disk in the same plane. It turns out two suns: one is real, and next to it , but in a different plane - its double in the form of a large bright circle,” is how the researchers explain the phenomenon.
The halo may be visible in the shape of a pillar. We must thank plate-shaped ice crystals for this effect. Their lower edges reflect the light of the sun, which has already disappeared behind the horizon, and instead of it, a luminous path is visible for some time going into the sky from the horizon - an image of the solar disk distorted beyond recognition. Simply put, this is the same “lunar path” that can be observed on the surface of the sea, only in the sky and generated by the sun.
The halo can also be iridescent. Such a circle occurs when there are many hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere that do not reflect, but refract the sun's rays like a glass prism. Most of the rays are scattered, but some of them, having passed through prisms in the air and refracted, reach us, and we see a rainbow circle around the sun. Rainbow because passing through a prism, a white light beam is decomposed into its spectrum colors.
Interestingly, halos are often observed at the front of cyclones (in cirrostratus clouds at an altitude of 5-10 kilometers of their warm front) which, therefore, can serve as a sign of their approach.
The sun is generally rich in mysterious and beautiful “deeds”. For example, a green ray is the rarest optical phenomenon- is a flash of green color that appears when the sun disappears behind the horizon (usually the sea) or appears from behind the horizon. This usually only lasts a few seconds. To see the green beam, three conditions must be met: fresh air, an open horizon (at sea without disturbances or in the steppe) and the side of the horizon where sunrise or sunset occurs, free from clouds.
Where do the stones go?
East of the Sierra Nevada range in California, on dry lake Racetrack Playa, spread out national park Death Valley, owner of the title of the driest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere. This place owes its ambiguous name to settlers who crossed the deserted territory in 1849, trying to take the shortest route to the gold mines. Some remained in the valley forever... It was in this ominous place that a rare geological phenomenon was discovered - sliding or crawling stones.
Cobblestones weighing up to thirty kilograms inexplicably slowly move along the clay bottom of the lake, which is confirmed by the paths remaining behind them and having a length of up to 250 meters. At the same time, stone wanderers crawl in different directions, at different speeds, and can even return back to the place of departure. The tracks they leave, no wider than 30 centimeters and less than 2.5 centimeters deep, can take years to form. The movement of stones has never been captured on camera, but there is no doubt about the existence of this phenomenon.
Predictably, the phenomenon was previously “explained” by the influence of certain supernatural forces. But at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists began to study the nature of the miracle. At first it was assumed that driving force stones are the Earth's magnetic fields. Scientists have not been able to explain the mechanism itself. As life has shown, the theory was untenable, although for its time it fit into the picture of the world: the electromagnetic approach to the study of certain phenomena then dominated in scientific circles.
The first monumental works describing the trajectories of stones appeared in the late 1940s and 1950s, but it took researchers years and years to get closer to solving the phenomenon. The most popular theory was that the wind helps change the location of the stones. The clayey bottom of Racetrack Playa - the place of the "walk" - is covered with a network of cracks and remains dry almost all the time; the vegetation here is extremely sparse. Sometimes, however, the soil here is moistened due to rare precipitation, the friction force decreases, and strong gusts of wind move the stones from their “home places.”
The theory had a lot of opponents, but the most reasoned refutation was found only in the 1970s by American scientists Robert Sharp and Dwight Carey. Over the years of studying this desert area and observing the stones, they came to the conclusion that the wind alone was not enough here and suggested (and even proved experimentally) that the wind pushed not so much the stones themselves, but rather the pieces of ice that formed on them, increasing the contact area with the atmosphere and at the same time facilitate sliding.
In 1993, San Jose State University professor Paula Messina used GPS capabilities to study the movement of stones. She studied the changes in the coordinates of 162 boulders and found that their movement is influenced by what part of Racetrack Playa they are in. According to the created model, the wind over the lake after a storm is divided into two streams, which is due to the peculiarities of the geometry of the mountains surrounding Racetrack Playa. Stones located along the edges of the lake move in different, almost perpendicular, directions. And in the center the winds collide and twist into a kind of tornado, causing the stones to also rotate.
True, there is no clear explanation yet for the curious fact that some stones crawl in the desert, while others do not. If all boulders are equally affected by wind turbulence, why don't they all move? This remains to be seen.
Ball lightning is a rare atmospheric phenomenon of as yet unknown nature. It has never been successfully reproduced experimentally. Typically, ball lightning is in the form of a ball of energy ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter. However, other forms have also been described. Most often, ball lightning is blue, white or orange. Those who observed it closely noted moving internal parts. Typically, ball lightning forms during a thunderstorm, but there are cases when it appears even in its complete absence. One of its characteristic features is penetration into closed spaces, sometimes even into airplane cockpits. Ball lightning can come through windows, down chimneys, through closet doors and out of television screens. It can move in air currents without causing harm and generate electrical discharges; it can explode, releasing great energy, instantly evaporating liquids, melting metal and glass. It was even suggested that it could cause radiation exposure to people who were too close to it.
Until about 1970, most scientists considered the appearance of ball lightning to be nothing more than an illusion. Paranormal researchers cite this phenomenon as a classic example of how an object of speculation by charlatans has become a subject of study for traditional science. They believe that similar things can happen with other unexplained phenomena.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Credible reports of ball lightning can be found in records dating back seven centuries. There are ancient engravings with her image. In 1853, a French meteorologist first investigated about thirty cases of this phenomenon. The names "fireballs" and "thunderbolts" and the incomprehensible, dangerous and unpredictable nature of this phenomenon gave it a mystical character.
Back in the nineteenth century, some scientists noticed that unusually shaped meteorites were sometimes mistaken for ball lightning. There was also a hypothesis that ordinary lightning discharges, due to the intense brightness of the flash, inactive on the retina of the eye of the witness, create optical distortion.
After World War II, a number of meteorologists and physicists attempted to recognize the field of ball lightning research as necessary, but the lack of reliable scientific explanations for this phenomenon made it difficult to convince their colleagues of this. Meanwhile, information about this phenomenon became more and more, but it remained in the hands of non-professional researchers, not entering the sphere of attention of specialist scientists.
However, when in early 1960 the famous physicist Dr. Roger Jennison found himself a passenger on an Eastern Airlines airliner flying over New York, things moved from a dead point. A small ball of lightning floated down the passage and disappeared, passing through the pressurized skin of the aircraft. Almost all passengers observed this phenomenon and could confirm its authenticity. From that day on, it became possible to discuss the subject in prestigious journals such as Nature.
However, the skeptics did not give up. In 1972, in his famous "Book of Lightning," MIT physicist Peter Wiemeister called the phenomenon "highly controversial" and added that "some scientists do not believe in its existence." However, several well-founded and well-reasoned stories have reduced much of the skepticism, and a number of laboratories have begun to develop experiments to reproduce ball lightning artificially. This could provide an opportunity to understand how they are formed. However, the experiments were not successful, which strengthened the position of skeptics.
From mystery to paradoxThe problem is that many theories are rarely supported by a consistent chain of evidence. The case when ball lightning instantly evaporated water in a barrel of known volume made it possible to calculate the amount of energy it released. Such a huge amount of energy could lead to serious physical impacts on the environment, but no obvious signs of this were observed. This still inexplicable natural phenomenon is called “paradoxical energy levels.”
No one can understand why ball lightning sometimes behaves with obvious aggressiveness and causes significant destruction, while at other times it turns out to be just a nice atmospheric effect without any harmful consequences. In one case that occurred in Florida, a tiny ball completely melted a fly swatter that an innocent victim lounging on a veranda instinctively waved in his direction. In April 1976, Nature magazine discussed a case that occurred in the English county of West Midlands: a small blue ball passed through the torso of a woman who was preparing food. But the only unpleasant consequences were the energy vortex flows, the heating to which it was subjected wedding ring, and a finger burn.
UFO connection?Attempts have been made to explain the effect of fluctuating energy levels based on atomic energy. However, this would mean that witnesses who were close to the ball lightning would have received a certain dose of radiation. But there is no clear evidence of this.
Some physicists interested in ball lightning have suggested that they do not have access to all the available data. Mark Steenhoff, who worked for BUFORA in the UK, investigated the West Midlands case. He tried to connect it with his UFO sightings. And Cambridge University professor Paul Davis even hypothesized a connection between UFOs and ball lightning. He coined the term "transient atmospheric phenomenon" to emphasize the connection between ball lightning and UFOs, and stated that real progress in solving the problem would occur when "the aura of mystery and supernaturalism surrounding unusual celestial phenomena is dispelled." He wrote about it in Nature magazine and New Scientist.
Indeed, UFO researchers do not deny that ball lightning can cause various anomalies. It has been suggested that she was the cause of a series of events that occurred near Levelland, Texas in November 1957. Then the engines of many cars and trucks stalled and their headlights went out in the presence of a large luminous mass that slowly rotated around them for more than two hours. Meanwhile, there was no thunderstorm in Levelland that night, and the occurrence of such long-lived ball lightning, as well as the amount of traffic affected by it, had never before been noticed.
Some ufologists claim that there is a connection between ball lightning and UFOs. It is currently considered possible that large forms of ball lightning are perceived by observers as UFOs, without identifying them with atmospheric phenomena. As a result, ball lightning remains out of sight of the scientific community. Since most ufologists consider UFOs to be extraterrestrial, alien phenomena to humans, they almost always recognize ball lightning as an alien object. In turn, most scientists do not take UFO reports seriously. They deny the existence of large ball lightning and do not understand that recognizing this fact can help in their research.
Scientists receive thousands of reports about ball lightning every year, but there is much less information about those that leave material evidence, although the most extensive search for them has been undertaken. There are very few clear photographs and no good quality films or videos that capture ball lightning. It is understandable that this reflects the unstable nature of the phenomenon: it rarely lasts more than a few seconds, and witnesses usually do not have time to pick up a camera. Until serious evidence of phenomena of this kind is obtained, ball lightning will remain a subject of scientific controversy.
OBSERVATION OF BALL LIGHTNING
The chances of encountering ball lightning at close range are low unless you live in an area that experiences frequent thunderstorms. Since most people prefer to stay home during a thunderstorm, it is natural that most encounters with ball lightning occur indoors. Lightning can form in the absence of thunderstorm activity, which, however, is much less common.
If you manage to witness such a spectacle, it will most likely be very short-lived and stunning. The chances of your charged camera (or better yet, video camera) being ready for use are pretty slim, but if you are prepared and can recover quickly enough to capture the subject, please do so. You will be able to gain valuable scientific data.
If you fail, be sure to report the event to someone nearby. Immediately after the incident, all witnesses should be asked to draw and write down what they personally observed, and then sign it. This needs to be done as soon as possible. If you remember any details, you can write them down later. During the event itself, try to maintain composure. Although ball lightning has significant energy, it is known that encountering it will most likely not harm you. But still, ball lightning should be treated with caution and under no circumstances should you try to touch it.
Ball lightning is attracted by electrical wires and metal objects (especially ring-shaped ones). She can transfer energy to them, while heating them up greatly. This may cause injury. Therefore, try not to touch electrical wires in the room during a thunderstorm and remove potentially dangerous objects or jewelry. There are examples where ball lightning floated across a room and caused fluorescent lamps to glow, despite the fact that they were turned off. During ball lightning events, do not touch electrical switches.
If ball lightning appears while you are on the phone, hang up immediately. There are reliable cases of serious injury even from well-insulated plastic telephones if lightning penetrates the wire.
In general, if you witness the phenomena of ball lightning, watch it carefully and try to remember as many details as possible. You have the opportunity to witness a rare, little-studied, mysterious natural phenomenon. Any scientist would be happy to be in your place!
RESEARCH OF BALL LIGHTNING
This is a phenomenon that is best left to professional scientists to study - not only because it is very complex, but also because it is a dangerous form of energy that is unwise to approach without due care. Some people obtain photographic evidence by filming severe thunderstorms with their cameras, but you should not get out of your car. The metal acts as an insulator in such a situation, and rubber tires also help with this. The interior of a car is one of the most reliable places where you can hide from a thunderstorm.
Despite several years of research, the lack of photographic data is one of the most difficult problems to solve. It is very difficult to take a photograph of ordinary lightning, since it is impossible to predict where it will appear. You need to mount your camera on a tripod, open the shutter, and wait for the lightning to flash, hoping it happens in the direction the camera is mounted. And if you are patient, you can get really lucky.
Hobbyists can also collect information from old reports contained in local newspaper archives dating back to the last century, as well as investigate events reported in the media today. You will quickly learn to recognize the possible appearance of ball lightning, even if it is reported as a visit from an alien ship. Reports of spherical lights observed during thunderstorms, no matter how colorfully described by witnesses, the media and UFO fanatics, should be treated with caution.
Those who understand electrical engineering can be advised to study cases of stopping machines and other Vehicle under the influence of phenomena similar to those observed in Levelland (Texas). A full assessment of the damage and any consequences of increased electrical voltage in the electrical circuit of the machine after its mysterious stop (regardless of whether ball lightning was observed or not or whether there was a thunderstorm at that time) is something that is worth doing. This is a little-studied but very promising area of research.
Finally, it is important to report your discoveries promptly to a serious physics or meteorological publication. The Meteorological Journal (see Sources) will be interested in your report.
BALL LIGHTNING TODAY
Over the past few years, symposiums on ball lightning research have been held regularly, and this has contributed to progress in its study. Most of these meetings took place in countries of Eastern Europe- in Russia and Hungary, since it is there that the main research on this phenomenon is carried out (although it should be noted that China and Japan also make a significant contribution to the study of ball lightning). The UK is not far behind them. She hosted a symposium in Oxford in 1992, led by meteorologists Mark Steenhoff, Adrian James and Dr Dorek Evans.
This time, the position of skeptics has noticeably strengthened. This was facilitated by the popular science writer Stuart Campbell, who previously tried to explain the UFO phenomenon as a phenomenon of ball lightning, and recently published a book exposing UFOs. At the symposium, he stated that both UFOs and ball lightning were just misinterpreted information.
His opponent was Dr. Eric Wooding, a physicist from the University of London. He proposed a criterion that should be followed to obtain rigorous evidence. Having come to the dismal conclusion that a camera set up during a thunderstorm might only detect ball lightning once in a thousand years, Wooding concluded that a wide-ranging global network would be needed to have any chance of getting any results.
The last symposium took place in September 1993 in Salzburg (Austria). It brought together amateur researchers and professional scientists from ten countries. Such a number of scientists had never before been present at any symposium, with the result that most of the discussions were deeply bogged down in mathematics and physics.
In April 1993, three researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences prepared a very valuable statistical analysis of more than 1,800 reports of ball lightning using computer data. Thanks to this analysis, it became possible to better understand the phenomenon.
According to statistics from Russian scientists, two-thirds of the total number of ball lightnings had a diameter from four to twenty inches, and only 2% were larger than two feet. With the exception of 8%, all lightning was observed for less than 100 seconds, and two thirds of them were observed for less than twenty seconds. The best time The months for observing ball lightning were July and August, which coincides with the peak of thunderstorm activity in Europe. The highest peak of daily activity occurred in the morning, and the second peak in the early evening. In terms of color, more than 28% of lightning bolts were white, followed by yellow and red, and then orange, blue and purple. Green lightning was most rarely reported.
A valuable example of what can be done to further the study of ball lightning was published in May 1993 by Robin Harper in the Meteorological Journal, which discussed research into an episode that occurred at Llwyngrill in the Welsh county of Greenedd. It happened on August 30, 1992 at 5:05 p.m. A strong explosion damaged the bungalow, whose occupants, fortunately, were in the church at the time. As it turned out later, the explosion was caused by ball lightning, which penetrated the home electrical wiring. An eyewitness who watched this from the window saw a strong flash of light. It looked like a blue sphere three feet in diameter, with a yellow glow around the edge. Spinning rapidly clockwise, it floated in the air until it disappeared two or three seconds later.
Experienced WitnessThe most valuable factual data that became known to the world was made public at the Salzburg Conference. Dr. Alex Kohl from the local university investigated the case, which, thanks to a unique set of circumstances, turned out to be quite significant.
His witness was Christian Witz, director of the St. Polten weather station in Lower Austria. On the night of July 4, 1989, a violent storm hit the area. At that time, Christian Witz took up his favorite business. Using a special photography technique, he took pictures of lightning. At 9 pm, several hundred feet away, he saw a powerful flash low above the ground and turned in its direction. Then, in the place where the flash had just occurred, Witz saw a blinding white ball the size of a full moon, which was moving in a spiral. At first it was about ten feet above the ground and slowly descended over the course of seven seconds, and then went out.
The fact that a professional meteorologist saw ball lightning is quite a rare case. The fact that he kept his camera open and pointed in approximately the same direction is even greater luck. It turned out that the flash itself was not included in the frame, but the ball lightning was perfectly captured in the lower left corner of the color image. In addition to the visual observation of the event by a professional eye and this valuable photograph, complete weather information was obtained from the nearest weather station at the time of the incident. This has given the case immeasurable value to researchers trying to figure out how ball lightning is formed.
UFO dilemmaImportant information was obtained thanks to Dr. Terence Meaden, who published the results of an investigation into a strange incident that occurred on July 20, 1992, when a Citroen car in Vallognese near Cherbourg in France was subjected to classic "transport interference." The car's engine stalled and he was forced to stop. But since this incident occurred on a summer morning, the car headlights were not turned on. However, based on past experience, it is very likely that they also failed.
An investigation by Dr Meaden at the scene revealed that the car remained stationary for several seconds while the driver tried unsuccessfully to start it. Although there was heavy rain and lightning in the distance at the time, there were no thunderstorms in the area. However, soon both passengers in the car were shocked by a strong explosion and at the same time a very bright flash of light. Although no evidence could be found on site, the phenomenon was observed by two men who were very close to the center of events and were subjected to a strong light strike. They came to their senses, got out of the car and checked the wiring, but found no damage. When the passengers got back into the Citroen, it started up the first time.
It appears that the car stopped due to large ionization in the atmosphere over the area half a minute before the lightning flash. If the observed object did not resemble ordinary lightning (but looked like a drifting ball of light, as in other cases described in this section), it would almost certainly be regarded as another UFO phenomenon. More than a thousand reports of sudden car stops have been attributed by witnesses or researchers to the UFO phenomenon. It has been argued that no known natural electrical phenomenon can create the physical conditions for stopping a car, but the case in France strongly suggests the opposite.
The dilemma facing ufologists is illustrated by another incident that I learned about while writing this section. As has happened before, a puzzled woman informed me about it through the Jordell Bank Astronomy Center. At first she thought she had seen a UFO, although she later called me again to say that a colleague at work thought it was lightning.
On the stormy evening of January 26, 1995, she was walking her dog in a field near Bradford, West Yorkshire. Low air pressure led to heavy snowfall and devastating flooding in northern Europe over the next few days. However, there was no thunderstorm activity that evening. The woman saw and heard the plane flying from Leeds to Bradford. Suddenly she noticed a strange glowing ball of white-blue color appear behind him, flaring like magnesium, only one or two feet in diameter. It seemed as if he was being pulled towards the fuselage of the plane. As the woman put it, the ball was “chasing the plane.” This continued even when the airliner changed course. However, after about a minute, the ball of light broke away from the plane, quickly darted away and disappeared.
Such cases may have a natural explanation. There are a large number of almost identical incidents known. At least, it is more likely that such cases are associated with ball lightning than with a visit from “little green men.”
OrganizationsThe following organizations actively collect reports on ball lightning. All of them are staffed by professional meteorologists and physicists.
TORRO (Ball Lightning Division), PO Box 164, Richtond, Surrey, TWIO 7RR, UK. (“Ball lightning department”).
Alex Keui, PO Box 151, A-5024, Salzburg, Austria. (Alex Koehl).
"Information Center on ball lightning", Institute of High Temperatures, Izhorskaya 13/19, Moscow, 127412, Russia.
Periodicals
The most accurate and regular information about ball lightning research can be found in:
"THE JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY", 54 Frome Road, Bradford-on-Avon.Wiltshire, BA15 ILD, UK ("Meteorological Journal").
Good day to all!
Today I propose to talk about ball lightning. No matter how hard I tried to cut down information on this topic, everything is interesting... So...
Few people are afraid of ordinary lightning - a sparking electrical discharge - and everyone knows how to behave during a thunderstorm. But what is ball lightning, is it dangerous, and what to do if you encounter this phenomenon?
What types of ball lightning are there?
It is very easy to recognize ball lightning, despite the variety of its types. Usually it has the shape of a ball, glowing like a 60-100 Watt light bulb. Much less common are lightning that looks like a pear, mushroom or drop, or such an exotic shape as a pancake, donut or lens. But the variety of colors is simply amazing: from transparent to black, but shades of yellow, orange and red are still in the lead.
The color can be uneven, and sometimes ball lightning changes it like a chameleon.
There is also no need to talk about a constant size of the plasma ball; it ranges from several centimeters to several meters. But usually people encounter ball lightning with a diameter of 10-20 centimeters.
The worst thing about describing lightning is its temperature and mass. According to scientists, the temperature can range from 100 to 1000 oC. But at the same time, people who encountered ball lightning at arm's length rarely noticed any heat emanating from them, although, logically, they should have received burns. The same mystery is with mass: no matter what size the lightning is, it weighs no more than 5-7 grams.
Behavior of ball lightning
The behavior of ball lightning is unpredictable. They refer to phenomena that appear when they want, where they want and do what they want. Thus, it was previously believed that ball lightning is born only during thunderstorms and always accompanies linear (ordinary) lightning. However, it gradually became clear that they can appear in sunny, clear weather.
It was believed that lightning is, as it were, “attracted” to places of high voltage with a magnetic field - electric wires. But there have been cases recorded when they actually appeared in the middle of an open field...
Ball lightning inexplicably erupts from electrical sockets in the house and “leaks” through the slightest cracks in the walls and glass, turning into “sausages” and then again taking on its usual shape. In this case, no melted traces remain... They either calmly hang in one place at a short distance from the ground, or rush somewhere at a speed of 8-10 meters per second.
Having met a person or animal on their way, lightning can stay away from them and behave peacefully, they can circle around curiously, or they can attack and burn or kill, after which they either melt away as if nothing had happened, or explode with a terrible roar. However, despite frequent stories of those injured or killed by ball lightning, their number is relatively small - only 9 percent.
Most often, lightning, after circling around the area, disappears without causing any harm. If it appears in the house, it usually “leaks” back out onto the street and only melts there.
There have also been many unexplained cases where ball lightning is “tied” to a specific place or person and appears regularly. Moreover, in relation to a person, they are divided into two types - those that attack him every time they appear and those that do not cause harm or attack people nearby.
There is another mystery: ball lightning, having killed a person, leaves absolutely no trace on the body, and the corpse does not become numb and does not decompose for a long time...
Some scientists say that lightning simply “stops time” in the body.
Ball lightning from a scientific point of view
Ball lightning is a unique and peculiar phenomenon. Over the history of mankind, more than 10 thousand evidence of meetings with “intelligent balls” has accumulated. However, scientists still cannot boast of great achievements in the field of research of these objects. There are a lot of disparate theories about the origin and “life” of ball lightning. From time to time, in laboratory conditions, it is possible to create objects that are similar in appearance and properties to ball lightning - plasmoids. However, no one was able to provide a coherent picture and logical explanation for this phenomenon.
The most famous and developed earlier than the others is the theory of Academician P. L. Kapitsa, which explains the appearance of ball lightning and some of its features by the emergence of short-wave electromagnetic oscillations in the space between thunderclouds and the earth's surface. However, Kapitsa was never able to explain the nature of those very short-wave oscillations. In addition, as noted above, ball lightning does not necessarily accompany ordinary lightning and can appear in clear weather. However, most other theories are based on the findings of Academician Kapitsa.
A hypothesis different from Kapitza’s theory was created by B. M. Smirnov, who claims that the core of ball lightning is a cellular structure with a strong frame and low weight, and the frame is created from plasma filaments.
D. Turner explains the nature of ball lightning by thermochemical effects occurring in saturated water vapor in the presence of a sufficiently strong electric field.
However, the theory of the New Zealand chemists D. Abrahamson and D. Dinnis is considered the most interesting. They found that when lightning strikes soil containing silicates and organic carbon, a tangle of silicon and silicon carbide fibers is formed. These fibers gradually oxidize and begin to glow. This is how a “fire” ball is born, heated to 1200-1400 °C, which slowly melts. But if the temperature of the lightning goes off scale, it explodes. However, this harmonious theory does not confirm all cases of lightning occurrence.
For official science, ball lightning still continues to be a mystery. Maybe that’s why so many pseudo-scientific theories and even more fictions appear around it.
Pseudo-scientific theories about ball lightning
We will not tell here stories about demons with glowing eyes, leaving behind the smell of sulfur, hellhounds and “birds of fire,” as ball lightning was sometimes represented. However, their strange behavior allows many researchers of this phenomenon to assume that lightning “thinks.” At a minimum, ball lightning is considered a device for exploring our world. At the most, by energy entities that also collect some information about our planet and its inhabitants.
An indirect confirmation of these theories can be the fact that any collection of information is work with energy.
And the unusual property of lightning to disappear in one place and appear instantly in another. There are suggestions that the same ball lightning “dives” into a certain part of space - another dimension, living according to different physical laws - and, having dumped information, appears again in our world at a new point. And the actions of lightning in relation to living creatures on our planet are also meaningful - they do not touch some, they “touch” others, and from some they simply tear out pieces of flesh, as if for genetic analysis!
The frequent occurrence of ball lightning during thunderstorms is also easily explained. During bursts of energy - electrical discharges - portals from a parallel dimension open, and their collectors of information about our world enter our world...
What to do when encountering ball lightning?
The main rule when ball lightning appears - whether in an apartment or on the street - is not to panic and not to make sudden movements. Don't run anywhere! Lightning is very susceptible to air turbulence that we create when running and other movements and which pull it along with us. You can only get away from ball lightning with a car, but not under your own power.
Try to quietly move out of the lightning's path and stay away from it, but do not turn your back on it. If you are in an apartment, go to the window and open the window. With a high degree of probability, lightning will fly out.
And, of course, never throw anything into ball lightning! It can not just disappear, but explode like a mine, and then serious consequences (burns, injuries, sometimes loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest) are inevitable.
If ball lightning touched someone and the person lost consciousness, then he must be moved to a well-ventilated room, wrapped warmly, given artificial respiration and be sure to call an ambulance.
In general, technical means of protection against ball lightning as such have not yet been developed. The only “ball lightning rod” that currently exists was developed by the leading engineer of the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering B. Ignatov. Ignatov's ball lightning rod has been patented, but only a few similar devices have been created; there is no talk of actively introducing it into life yet.