Ball Lightning
St. Elmo's Fire; Sorcerer's Flight
A strikingly, eerie form of glowing energy that generally appears in stormy weather around trees, church spires, sailing masts, and airplane wings. A haunting characteristic of the phenomenon is that it often travels horizontally and seemingly with intent.
The scientific theory is that; it is a plasma (i.e. a hot, ionized gas) that forms around the tips of raised, pointed conductors during thunderstorms. Physicists know it as a corona discharge or point discharge. The few people that have witnessed Ball Lightning have given various descriptions. It has been seen with different physical characteristics depending on the conditions of the viewing. It could be blue to bluish-white, silent to emitting a hissing sound, and ghostly to solid.
Personal accounts of Ball Lightning have been recorded throughout history. Some prominent people, including Julius Caesar, Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin, have had personal experiences with the phenomenon. There have been several accounts of Ball Lightning by airline pilots.
In the Mexican desert, the Yaki Indians refer to the phenomenon as Sorcerer's Flight.
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