8/9/2023 0 Comments Science phenomena strangeElmo’s FireĬontrary to its name, this electrical phenomenon is not actually composed of fire, but plasma. Varies in color but commonly burns in shades of yellow, orange, and redĭespite this knowledge (and multiple studies and lab recreations), scientists are still divided as to what actually causes this phenomenon in nature. ![]() Spherical in shape with “soft” or “fuzzy” edges Other early reports are also ominous in nature–but what do we actually know about ball lightning today?Īccording to a study from 1972, ball lightning does exist and generally has these following characteristics: Pancras and ricocheted off pews and windows, leaving 4 dead and 60 wounded. According to the eyewitnesses, in the midst of a dark, booming thunderstorm, an 8-foot-wide “great ball of fire” blasted through a window of the Church of St. The first recorded sighting in human history dates back to England in 1638. These glowing, electrical spheres have been said to materialize during thunderstorms before disappearing seconds or moments later–and according to early reports, they are quite dangerous. We’re all familiar with lightning bolts, but far fewer people have witnessed a much stranger electrical phenomenon: ball lightning. On any given night, there are up to 20,000 lightning strikes, some of which can be seen clear across the Caribbean Sea. Located in Venezuela at the mouth of the Catatumbo River, this lightning storm returns each night for around 10 hours, triggered by high winds from the Andes Mountains and the methane gas from the swampland around the river. While this may sound like something out of a fantasy or science fiction novel, “The Everlasting Storm,” also known as Catatumbo lightning, lives fairly well up to its name. Here are some of the strangest electrical phenomena that people have witnessed throughout our planet’s history… 1. ![]() In fact, electricity manifests itself in the natural world in a number of peculiar ways, some of which modern science still has yet to fully explain. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Because we are so used to witnessing electricity at work in our daily lives in machines and electronics, we often forget that electricity actually exists in nature. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. ![]() Federica Bianco, an astrophysicist, says that if NASA builds the right tools, like a UAP reporting app, it might improve the data and public engagement.įEDERICA BIANCO: This could be an opportunity to really increase the reach of science, help people understand the scientific process and maybe diversify the scientific community by attracting new talent.īRUMFIEL: In other words, studying UAPs could do a lot of good, even if NASA never finds aliens.Ĭopyright © 2023 NPR. One problem.įOX: The existing data available from eyewitness reports are often muddled and cannot provide conclusive evidence.īRUMFIEL: But panelists also believe the public could help. This panel is trying to figure out how to systematically study UAPs. NICKY FOX: The nature of science is to better understand the unknown, and to do that, our scientists need data.īRUMFIEL: Nicky Fox is associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. But about 2 to 5% remain unidentified, meaning they could be aliens. Most of those turn out to be aircraft drones, the occasional Chinese spy balloon. A new Pentagon office has received more than 800 reports. SCOTT KELLY: And my RIO thought - the guy that sits in the back of the Tomcat - was convinced we flew by a UFO.īRUMFIEL: Kelly turned the plane around and made another pass.īRUMFIEL: Kelly is now a member of a NASA panel trying to make sense of sightings of so-called UAPs. GEOFF BRUMFIEL, BYLINE: Astronaut and former fighter pilot Scott Kelly remembers his brush with an unidentified flying object. NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports on the effort to bring science to the hunt for E.T. ![]() Don't know what that is? That's because it's the new name the government has given to what we call UFOs. NASA has convened top scientists and academics to discuss unidentified anomalous phenomena.
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