QuestionsBall lightningIs ball lightning a physical object, distinct from afterimages, hallucinations and misperceived ordinary lightning?Answer
Answer · Ball lightning
A physical phenomenon exists, but a large fraction of reports are perceptual or misidentified.
A physical phenomenon exists, but a large fraction of reports are perceptual or misidentified.
Where it stands
Most likelyIts tests partly supported it: one piece of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.
What it predicts
- Reports split into classes with different distances to strikes and different witness counts.
What would rule it out
- Homogeneous report statistics with no perceptual subclass.
Evidence 1 for · none against
The questions it answers
Most likelyBall lightning is a physical luminous object produced in or near thunderstorms
Cite it
Mysteries Department. (2026). A physical phenomenon exists, but a large fraction of reports are perceptual or misidentified. [Answer ANS0D40A85W4T0P]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D40A85W4T0P
@misc{mysteriesdept_ans0d40a85w4t0p,
title = {A physical phenomenon exists, but a large fraction of reports are perceptual or misidentified.},
author = {{Mysteries Department}},
year = {2026},
note = {Answer, catalog key ANS0D40A85W4T0P},
url = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D40A85W4T0P}
}