Where does ball lightning come from?
ball lightning, also called globe lightning, a rare aerial phenomenon in the form of a luminous sphere that is generally several centimetres in diameter. It usually occurs near the ground during thunderstorms, in close association with cloud-to-ground lightning.
How common is ball lightning?
1AD25), ball lightning has been seen by 5 percent of the population of the earth. This percentage is about the same as the fraction of the population that has seen an ordinary lightning strike at close range–that is, close enough to see the direct point of the lightning impact.
Are there different types of lightning?
There are three common types of lightning: cloud to ground, cloud to cloud and cloud to air. Cloud to ground lightning is the most dangerous. The ground is mainly consisted of positively charged particles while the bottom of violent storm clouds have negative charged particles.
What is the hottest type of lightning?
White – this is by far one of the most dangerous color of lightning due to the fact that this type of lightning is the hottest. This color can indicate a low concentration of moisture in the air as well as a high concentration of dust in the air.
Can lightning crack a windshield?
Windows are hazardous for two reasons: wind generated during a thunderstorm can blow objects into the window, breaking it and causing glass to shatter and second, in older homes, in rare instances, lightning can come in cracks in the sides of windows.
What are 3 different types of lightning?
What is the primitive era in lighting?
Earlier ancient civilizations, such as that of Egypt, belong to the Primitive era in lighting—before the relatively widespread adoption of the candle and of vegetable oil as fuel.
What percentage of the population has seen ball lightning?
According to statistical investigations in 1960, ball lightning had been seen by 5\% of the population of the Earth. Another study analyzed reports of 10,000 cases. One early account reports on the Great Thunderstorm at a church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, in England, on 21 October 1638.
Did ball lightning really occur in Colorado?
On 22 November 1894, an unusually prolonged instance of natural ball lightning occurred in Golden, Colorado, which suggests it could be artificially induced from the atmosphere. The Golden Globe newspaper reported, “A beautiful yet strange phenomenon was seen in this city on last Monday night.
What are the characteristics of ball lightning?
Descriptions of ball lightning vary widely. It has been described as moving up and down, sideways or in unpredictable trajectories, hovering and moving with or against the wind; attracted to, unaffected by, or repelled from buildings, people, cars and other objects.