Ball lightning poses a real risk to people because it can explode, crash to the ground, and ignite objects in its path. Experts from the physics department at a major Russian university explain that this enigmatic phenomenon has long puzzled scientists and remains only partly understood. The uncertainty about how ball lightning forms and behaves has driven years of careful observation, controlled testing, and ongoing debate within the scientific community.
Current thinking suggests that ball lightning might consist of gaseous material that forms when a lightning strike interacts with the ground. In some models, the airborne component becomes enveloped by a solid shell that helps contain the energy for a short period. This structure can create a mobile, glowing sphere that travels along a surface or hovers in the air for several seconds before dissipating. The idea of a shell around a gaseous core helps explain why witnesses describe the phenomenon as a self-contained, luminous object rather than a simple flash in the sky. This interpretation stems from a combination of laboratory observations and field reports collected over years by researchers who study atmospheric electricity. [Citation: Moscow State University physics department study findings]
Scientists estimate that the shell surrounding the interior material may be extremely thin yet remarkably tough, with a thickness measured in microns. Despite its delicate appearance, the shell appears capable of withstanding substantial pressures. Some estimates place the internal pressure of a ball lightning event at several atmospheres. If the shell is breached, the sudden release of energy can create a shock wave, contributing to an explosion-like effect. This mechanism helps account for accounts of small, localized blasts observed in some field reports. [Citation: Moscow State University physics department observations]
The danger from ball lightning is not limited to the potential explosion. The hot gas inside the sphere can burn skin and ignite nearby materials on contact or proximity. In addition, the process of charging and discharging that accompanies a lightning strike delivers a large electrical current to the evaporated ground. When the object comes into contact with people or objects, electric discharge can occur, delivering shock and generating heat that may intensify fires in surrounding materials. This combination of thermal and electrical effects explains why ball lightning is widely perceived as hazardous in both indoor and outdoor environments. [Citation: field observations and laboratory studies]
Witnesses who have observed ball lightning often report a sequence that aligns with these explanations: a glowing, compact sphere appears during or just after a thunderstorm, traverses a short distance, and then fades away or explodes with visible brightness and heat. While many sightings remain anecdotal, systematic collections of field descriptions and controlled experiments have built a coherent picture of how the phenomenon can manifest under certain atmospheric conditions. [Citation: compilation of eyewitness accounts]
Before arriving at these interpretations, researchers conducted numerous laboratory experiments that reproduced miniature artificial balls of lightning. These experiments helped scientists explore how a gas-like interior might form a self-contained glow and how a surrounding shell could stabilize the sphere for a brief moment. Even though artificial test cases differ from natural events in scale and complexity, they provide critical clues about the physics of high-energy discharges in air and the way energy can be stored and released in a compact form. This body of work supports current explanations and continues to guide ongoing investigations into the precise conditions that lead to ball lightning in nature. [Citation: laboratory replication studies]