The phenomenon of ball lightning is still an enigma to scientists, even to this day. Some people suspected that the glaring ball was a UFO. However, that theory was debunked when scientists identified it as a rare occurrence of ball lightning. Ball lightnings usually appear in conjunction with thunderstorms. Instead of hitting the ground, like a regular bolt or flash of light, and releasing all its energy on a point, a ball lightning is a ball of energy that hovers right above the ground.
Ball lightnings can vary in size from several meters in diameter, down to pea size. In contrast to regular thunderbolts, which can last only for a few seconds, ball lightning can endure up to several minutes. Eventually, the ball of energy explodes, leaving behind great devastation, and often some smell of sulfur, as it was reported.
Watch this video to get a close encounter with a mystifying ball lightning:
