A rare form of lightning

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Space technology

Ball lightning:

Also called globe lightning, it is one of the most rare and mysterious forms of lightning usually associated with thunderstorms.
It’s a ball of luminosity that usually occurs near the impact point of a flash and moves horizontally at a speed of a few centimeters per second. These balls are said to be plasmas.
- Plasma is a completely ionized state of matter, at high temperature, in which positive and negative ions freely move about.
It can penetrate closed windows, is usually accompanied by a hissing sound, and has a lifetime of several seconds. The color is quite variable and the ball often ends with an explosion. Though it is not usually destructive.
It occurs at times of intense electrical activity in the atmosphere.
It has not been produced in the laboratories by the scientists.

Source: TH