Ball lightning 'may explain UFOs'

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Some UFO sightings could be explained by ball lightning and other atmospheric phenomena, claims Australian astrophysicist Stephen Hughes.

The scientist has made a detailed study of an unusual event in 2006 when large meteors were observed over Brisbane. Their appearance occurred at the same time as a brilliant green object was seen to roll over nearby mountains.

Dr Hughes has put forward a theory linking the object - presumed to be ball lighting - to the fireballs.

His idea is that one of the fireballs may have momentarily triggered an electrical connection between the upper atmosphere and the ground, providing energy for the ball lightning to appear above the hills.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11877842

---

He has written up http://eprints.qut.edu.au/38939/">his explanation in a http://rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/26/rspa.2010.0409.short?rss=1">journal of the Royal Society.


A fireball is caught on camera over Brisbane

[RandomThoughts]

1. Sounds like a label trap in there, and a claim by label not explanation.

[rug]

2. Hell of a way to solve a puzzle.

[Orrex]

3. Oh yeah? Well who's piloting the ball lightning?

And how is it getting here from those planets hundreds of lightyears distant?


Hmm???

[indimuse]

4. *Ball Lightning*..soundz like fun! hehe..n/t

[Judi Lynn]

6. You can only do it once.

http://www.planebuzz.com.nyud.net:8090/electric%20shock%20sign.jpg

[Frisbee]

5. Still doesn't explain the aliens facination with anal probes!

But I always suspected they'd be kinda kinky! :rofl:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Worst of all possible worlds, ball lightning hits swamp gas. n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

8. oh yeah, so thats what it was..

Those aren't the droids you're looking for, move along, move along.

[Yeahyeah]

9. Lightning hits you in the balls you see lots of shit.

[fasttense]

10. I have seen ball lightening in the mountains of East TN.

It was during a very bad lightening storm. The storm had passed over our house and had moved to the mountains to the southwest. I stepped out on the porch and saw this huge orange-white glowing ball right on the mountain tops. It sat there getting bigger and bigger as the lightening hit it from all sides. Each lightening strike seemed to make it larger, rounder and brighter. It finally exploded followed several seconds later by a huge crash.

It was amazing.

[obxhead]

12. That's how many UFO sightings are described.

Sitting stationary and growing larger and larger until they explode.

(that sounds like quite an incredible thing to see though!)

[Yeahyeah]

13. I've never seen a more sarcastic post.

[obxhead]

14. Me either.

It was so sarcastic that I didn't think I needed the tag. :hide:

[Judi Lynn]

17. Absolutely! You wonder if it isn't expensive for them, building all those UFO's which just explode!

Yeah, you do hear so many stories of UFO's which just blow up when people least expect it.

[obxhead]

18. I'm sure any alien races making it to our planet have overcome

any kind of capitalist system.

Now it might be resource dependent. Which is why they come here isn't it?

[Merlot]

21. They're not exploding, they're moving at warp speed!

[shanti]

11. ok...

just like weather balloons :eyes:

[Javaman]

15. Whew! that lets swamp gas off the hook.

aka they have no fucking idea.

[Phoonzang]

16. What is this...1960?

Ball lightning, swamp gas, and weather balloons were the favorite explanations for UFOs back then. My personal favorite was "high flying seed pods" though.

[GReedDiamond]

20. Yeah, and what about "rods" aka "skyfish"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gul1bjImnuM

[The abyss]

19. I actually watched this type of event form in an enclosed room.

It was in the mid to late 1950s. It started in the midst of a massive lighting storm. A glow began to develop between the bells of a hand crank telephone that hung on the south wall of the house. That glow developed into a ball of light that grew larger and larger until in became a kind of crackling fire about the size of a softball. It detached itself from the telephone and slowly floated into the middle of the room. There was a detonation about on par with a shotgun being fired off. And then nothing, except my ears ringing.

I should also add that there was no external AC power to this house, lighting was only kerosene lamps; heating was a wood/coal stove. A propane bottle supplied gas to a small range top in the kitchen but 90% of all cooking was done on a wood cook stove. The telephone was a hand crank DC powered system that was connected to a local telephone network that provided communication over a party line system (three longs two short).

Decades later a physicist friend told me that what I had observed was something that labs were continually working on re-creating.

It was neat to see first hand.

But no - I don't think this particular phenomenon explains "ufo" type activity. I think that is most excellently discussed by jacques vallee and carl jung.

I did like this story - thanks for jarring the memory! Recommend.

[Psephos]

30. Very interesting account - thanks. n/t

[Amonester]

22. 'may explain UFOs' or 'may explain SOME UFOs'?

The question remains, can 'ball lightnings' be spotted on military radars?

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/47468/UFO_s_TERRORIZE_AIR_TRAFFIC_OVER_ALASKA/

Good question. I DOUBT they do.

[jberryhill]

23. Yes, plasmas will reflect microwaves

Which only makes sense, really. Any dielectric discontinuity will reflect EM waves.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=5126595
Microwave Reflection from Small‐Diameter Plasma Columns

[Amonester]

25. Okay-dwoh. Now Another Question (of the Can-U-Explain type):

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/56232/Owned_by_Aliens__US_missile_guards_claim_UFOs_targ/

'Ball lightning' can go from one nuclear missile to the next nuclear missile, and 'activate' them (happened both in US & USSR)?

Answer: no.

[jberryhill]

27. Can I explain a double hearsay account of non-reproducible observations?

No.

But why is it that every quack energy scheme has a retired admiral vouching for it?

So, did you buy the book?

http://www.dailypaul.com/node/144504

A newly-published 352-page book by a retired Air Force officer, Stanley A. Fulham, tentatively predicts October 13, 2010 as the date for a massive UFO display over the world’s principal cities. According to the author, the aliens will neither land nor communicate on that date; they are aware from eons of experience with other planets in similar conditions their sudden intervention would cause fear and panic.

[Amonester]

28. LOL. (Beware of anyone who wants to sell a book like this these days.)

The Internet Is Full Of Very Similar Stories For Free. ;)

[jberryhill]

29. I'm thinking military pensions are too stingy

Hey, that USAF Col. Bowman started his own church.

Should I join it?

I guess the point is that military service is no immunization against being a nut.

[Turborama]

32. Not my headline

I would have changed it to that, if I could.

This posted to generate and interesting debate, and it seems to have succeeded. Thanks for the link.

[dimbear]

24. Not quite an explanation, since ball lightning is just as

mysterious and unexplained and in question as ufos are. It's like explaining gremlins by saying they are a kind of kobold.

[snooper2]

26. Where's all our friends from the dungeon?

come on, this has to be a conspiracy :rofl:

[jberryhill]

31. How can ball lightning explain UFO's?

Ball lightning can't even talk.

I can't understand how it is going to explain much of anything.

Is it giving a lecture somewhere?