華閱文章網閃電是自然界中存在的一種強大的放電現象。
閃電的放電作用通常會產生了閃電光或電光(light)。
空氣中的電力經過放電作用急速地將空氣加熱、膨脹，因膨脹而被壓縮成等離子(plasma)，再而產生了閃電的特殊構件雷(沖擊波的聲音)。
球狀閃電
球狀閃電通常被形容做一個在空中漂浮的發光球體。
它們移動速度不定，甚至可能出現靜止的狀態。
有時候會發出噝噝的爆裂聲。
甚至有些球狀閃電在穿過窗戶后爆裂開來消失了。
有很多目擊者都描述了球狀閃電但是很奇怪，它們很少被氣象學家記錄到。
The engineer Nikola Tesla wrote, "I have succeeded in determining the mode of their formation and producing them artificially" (Electrical World and Engineer, 5 March 1904). There is some speculation that electrical breakdown and arcing of cotton and gutta-percha wire insulation used by Tesla may have been a contributing factor, since some theories of ball lightning require the involvement of carbonaceous materials. Some later experimenters have been able to briefly produce small luminous balls by igniting carbon-containing materials atop sparking Tesla Coils.
Several theories have been advanced to describe ball lightning, with none being universally accepted. Any complete theory of ball lightning must be able to describe the wide range of reported properties, such as those described in Singer's book "The Nature of Ball Lightning" and also more contemporary research. Japanese research shows that ball lightning has been seen several times without any connection to stormy weather or lightning.
許多不在這個球狀閃電領域工作的科學家是不能體會到球狀閃電的領域特性是多麼廣泛的。
典型的球狀閃電直徑通常被規范化為20-30 厘米, 但有報告球記載了球狀閃電直徑可達數米以上(Singer) 。
一張最近的相片是由昆士蘭(Queensland)機動隊員Bret Porter所拍攝, 相片中顯示了一個相信為球狀閃電的一個火球，估計直徑大約為100 米。
相片是刊出在科學雜志 「Transactions of the Royal Society」. 標題為「一個有一條長而扭轉繩索似的發光球狀區域（ a glowing globular zone (the breakdown zone?) with a long, twisting, rope-like projection (the funnel?) ）」.
Fireballs have been seen in tornadoes, and they have also split apart into two or more separate balls and recombined. Fireballs have carved trenches in the peat swamps in Ireland. Vertically linked fireballs have been reported. One theory that may account for this wider spectrum of observational evidence is the idea of combustion inside the low-velocity region of axisymmetric (spherical) vortex breakdown of a natural vortex (e.g., the 'Hill's spherical vortex'). 高文（Coleman）是最早發表這個理論的科學家。
在1993年，他在Royal Meteorological Society的出版刊物「Weather」中發表了這個理論。
球狀閃電是很難被人看見的。
事實上，只有數次被拍攝為照片的記錄。
圣艾爾摩之火是被Franklin 正式評定為自然界中的電力。
這是與球狀閃電完全不同的。
