For centuries, people have reported ball lightning: glowing orbs that hover, drift and vanish, sometimes indoors. Scientists long doubted it. In 2012, researchers in China caught one on camera by chance and recorded its light.
Truth label: Established. Strong evidence and broad agreement among experts.
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What it was made of
The recording showed elements from the soil, supporting the idea that lightning vaporises earth into a glowing cloud.
Still unexplained
Other theories exist, and no one can yet reliably make it in a lab.
Learn
- Rare but real. Sightings are rare and unpredictable, which is why it took so long to measure one.
Test yourself
What did the 2012 recording suggest ball lightning contains?
Soil elements. Its light showed silicon, iron and calcium from the soil.
Sources
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