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Scientists around the world have shown interest in ball lightning. For a century and a half, their scientific study has been put forward dozens of conceivable and unthinkable hypotheses explaining the nature of this phenomenon. Often identified with such an abnormal atmospheric a phenomenon like a UFO (unidentified flying object). This is just that the case when they try to explain one ambiguity to another … Let’s try touch this mystery of nature and we. It’s easy to imagine what horror our distant ancestors experienced when meeting with such an incomprehensible and frightening phenomenon. The first mention of ball lightning in the Russian archives a vivid example of this. To one of the monasteries in 1663 the year came a “denunciation from the priest Ivanishche” from the village of Novye Ergi, in which it was reported: “… fire fell to the earth in many yards, and on the tracks, and in the mansions, like tow of grief, and people ran from him, and he katashesya after them, but didn’t burn anyone, and then rose up into the clouds. “Myths and ancient legends represented ball lightning in various guises. Most often she was portrayed as monsters with fiery eyes or in the form of Cerberus – the satanic dog who guards entrance to the underworld. From time to time he goes for a walk around the surface of the earth. Meeting him brings grief, and sometimes Cerberus leaves behind charred remains. Well known for Russian folk tales Snake Gorynych – one field with a berry. On the on the banks of the Vakhi River in Tajikistan there is a mysterious high mound, made of rounded stones. Science claims that he appeared in times of Alexander the Great. And here is the local folklore from generation to generation passes the legend of the fiery underground kingdom and evil spirits living there. Sometimes they arise on top the mound is surrounded by the “black light” and the smell of sulfur. Describe these demons are always in the form of a huge dog with burning eyes. English folk traditions are literally filled with stories of “ghost dogs spewing flames from their mouths.” First documentary evidence of ball lightning dates back to time Roman Empire. Ancient manuscripts describe events 106 year BC e.: “Giant red crows appeared over Rome. They carried in their beaks hot coals that fell down and set on fire at home. Half of Rome was embraced by fires. ” documentary evidence of similar events in France and Portugal in the Middle Ages. Mages and alchemists starting with Paracelsus and ending with the mysterious Dr. Torallba, were looking for a way to get power over the spirits of fire. Myths and legends telling about fire-breathing dragons and similar evil spirits exist practically in all nations of the world. It is impossible to explain this with simple ignorance. There were scientists whom this topic is very interested. Large-scale research, and the conclusion was quite clear: many myths, tales, legends can very well be based on real events. All this similar to evidence of some mysterious natural phenomena. The presence of glow, the ability to penetrate through material objects and explosiveness – why not “tricks” of ball lightning? Group enthusiasts led by Moscow electrical engineer S. Martyanov became interested in an unusual phenomenon near Pskov. IN a quiet place in the Pskov region there is the so-called Devil glade. In the summer and autumn, according to the stories of local residents, in those places so many mushrooms that even a scythe. But old-timers prefer go around this place on the tenth road, and visitors are sure to tell about an incomprehensible black creature with burning eyes and fire mouth. Here is how S. Martyanov describes his impressions of visiting the Devil’s Glade: “It was there that he rolled out of the bushes at me mysterious black ball. I was literally stunned: on its surface flashes of fire ran through. Nearby was a huge puddle with rain water. The dark object sparkled and hissed through the puddle. IN a thick cloud of steam rose, a loud bang rang out. After of this, the ball instantly disappeared, as if through the earth failed. On the ground only the dry grass remained. “S. Martyanov tried to find the answer to this phenomenal natural phenomenon. In his The research group was theoretical physicist A. Anokhin. IN the next visit to Chertovaya Polyana several were taken electrical appliances capable of registering powerful electrical discharges. Sensors placed around the meadow and began to guard. Through for several days, the hands of the instruments started and abruptly went right. A crimson flame flashed in the middle of the clearing, which soon went out. But suddenly, something dark gray appeared from under the ground. Black color the ball is by no means a wonder, since scientists have long been fixed ball lightnings of dark color. Further, continuous miracles began. Ball behaved like a rational creature – he went around the whole meadow in a circle, alternately burning out the sensors there. The expensive video camera melted and a tripod, and “something dark gray” returned to the center of the meadow and absorbed into the ground, as in blotting paper. — Expedition members long still in a state of shock. The riddle was haunting. Known that ball lightning most often occurs during a thunderstorm, but The day the weather was perfect. The possible solution to this mysterious phenomena proposed A. Anokhin. Scientists have long known the fact that thunderstorms may also occur underground. In different regions of our planets constantly exist or breaks occur unexpectedly crystalline rocks of the earth’s surface. During deformation in crystals appear electrical potentials of high power and there is a piezoelectric effect. Apparently underground lightning knocked to the surface. In the western part of Novosibirsk, near tohmachevo airport and in the metro station Red Avenue, for several years there are fiery objects. They have a diameter from a few centimeters to several meters, appear at different heights, and sometimes break out right from under land. Geologists attribute this phenomenon to a fracture of crystalline rocks. Scientists studying ball lightning are often affectionate call them “balls” or “koloboks”. In 1902 in Estonian an interesting case occurred on the island of Saaremaa. Nine-year-old Mihkel Bluegrass walked with friends along the shore of Lake Kaali. And suddenly in front of them a strange creature appeared – a small gray ball with a diameter not more than an inch ”, which silently rolled along the path. Boys tried to catch him, but, forcing him to run after him, “bun” hid in roadside bushes. Searches did not lead to anything. The great Russian writer Maxim was a witness to this unusual phenomenon. Bitter. Resting in the Caucasus with A.P. Chekhov and V.M. Vedeneev, he watched “the ball hit a mountain, tore off a huge rock and burst with a terrible crack “. In the newspaper” Komsomolskaya Pravda “from On July 5, 1965, the article “Fiery Guest” was published. In her described the behavior of ball lightning with a diameter of 30 cm, observed in Armenia: “Having circled the room, a ball of fire penetrated through open the door to the kitchen, and then flew out the window. Fireball hit the ground in the yard and exploded. Fortunately no one suffered. “The mysterious properties of ball lightning can be judged also on the occasion of the Oryol artist V. Lomakin. July 6, 1967 years, working in his workshop, at 13.30 he saw how straight from walls with a rustle reminiscent of the rustling sheets of a book, very slowly a creature crawls out with two dark brown eyes, covered with hair. The length of his body was about 20 cm, on the sides some kind of wings was observed. Flying from the wall a little more meters, the creature hit the line with which the artist worked, and has disappeared. On the floor V. Lomakin saw a ball that looked like a ball twine. The surprised artist bent down to pick it up and throw, but found only a thick cloud of gray. Through a second it dissolved. November 20, 1977 at about 19.30 on the highway not far from Palanga, engineer A. Bashkis drove on his Volga with passengers. They saw an irregularly shaped ball the size of about 20 cm, slowly sailing, crossed the highway. Top “bun” It was black, and on the edges – red-brown. Car drove over him, and the “creature” turned in the other direction and continued its way. In 1981, retired colonel A. A. Bogdanov saw over Chistoprudny Boulevard ball lightning. Dark brown ball with a diameter of 25-30 cm suddenly heated up and exploded, stunned numerous passers-by. In the city of Mytishchi near Moscow in March 1990 years, two students, returning to the hostel, faced with mysterious dark crimson ball. He slowly sailed through the air in half a meter from the ground. Arriving at the hostel, they found the same ball on the windowsill. Frightened, the girls climbed headlong under blankets, the ball at this time became smaller in size and changed color. When they ventured to peer out, found nothing. “Youth newspaper Karelia “October 9, 1993 also published an article about the mysterious balloon, Mikhail Voloshin lived in Petrozavodsk in a private house. FROM for some time then a small ball with a diameter of 7 to 10 cm, he moved completely silently and arbitrarily changed direction. Always disappeared unexpectedly, in the morning. This year an amazing incident occurred with a resident of Ussuriysk M. Barents. On the Slotovsky plateau near the rock, he noticed small clumps of fog ball-shaped, which rolled on the ground. One of them suddenly began to grow, out of it appeared clawed paws and jaws with bared teeth. An acute headache pierced M. Barentsev, and the ball took its original size and disappeared. In the summer of that year with engineers from St. Petersburg faced ball lightning. Husband with his wife was resting in a tent on the bank of the river. Vuoksy. A thunderstorm was approaching, and the couple decided to bring some of the things into the tent. Suddenly among trees they noticed a flying ball, followed by a thick foggy train. The object moved to the river parallel to the shore. Later it turned out that their transistor receiver failed, and husband broke the electronic clock. In Western sources of information there is earlier evidence of this mysterious phenomenon. In thunderstorm time April 14-15, 1718 in Cuenhon (France) were Three fireballs with a diameter of more than one meter were seen. In 1720 during a thunderstorm, a mysterious ball fell to the ground in a small french town. Bouncing off, he hit a stone tower and destroyed her. In 1845, in Paris on Saint-Jacques Street, ball lightning through the fireplace penetrated the room of one of the workers. Gray lump randomly moved around the room, then climbed up the chimney and exploded there. English newspaper “Daily Mail” on November 5, 1936 year published a note on ball lightning. An eyewitness reported that I saw a hot ball descending from the sky. He hit the house, damaging telephone wires. The wooden window frame caught fire, and the “ball” disappeared in a barrel of water, which then boiled. The crew of the KS-97 cargo plane survived several unpleasant minutes US Air Force. In 1960, at an altitude of almost 6 km on board an uninvited guest showed up. Glowing round object about the size of meter penetrated into the cockpit. He flew between the crew and just as suddenly disappeared. But far from always meeting ball lightning passes without consequences for a person. Assistant Lomonosov, Russian scientist G.V. Richman died in 1752, struck in the head with ball lightning emerging from a torn conductor from the lightning rod. A tragic incident occurred in Tucumari, New Mexico, in 1953. Ball lightning flew in a large tank of water exploded there. The result was several houses were destroyed, and four people were killed. July 7, 1977 years, two large luminous balls descended into the open a movie theater in Fujian province in China. Two teenagers died, and in panic affected about 200 more people. Ball attack a group of Soviet climbers was high in the mountains Of the Caucasus. It happened on August 17, 1978. Bright yellow glowing the ball flew to the sleeping athletes in a tent. Moving around the camp, he burned sleeping bags and attacked people. The wounds had much more serious than normal burns. One climber died, the rest got severe injuries. Athlete Survey Results Baffled Doctors. The muscle tissue of the victims was burned to the very bones, as if a welding machine was working here. 8 1980 in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) the appearance of a luminous ball also led to tragedy. Several houses were burned, a ball chased people and set fire to their clothes. In the Literary Newspaper, December 21, 1983 year described the explosion of ball lightning. Local people worked in the mountain valley residents. A huge cloud appeared in the sky, as if glowing from within. Rain poured and people rushed to the mulberry tree to take cover. But there was already ball lightning. She literally scattered people in different sides, many lost consciousness. As a result, three people died. List of tragic consequences from meetings with ball lightning you can continue, but better try to figure out what kind of phenomenon? Scientists have calculated that every day on our planet is raging about 44 thousand thunderstorms, every second up to 100 pierces the earth lightning bolts. But this is basically ordinary linear lightning, a mechanism which is well studied by experts. Ordinary lightning is a kind of electrical discharge that forms under high voltage between different parts of the cloud or between the cloud and the earth. Rapid heating of ionized gas leads to its expansion is a sound wave, that is, thunder. However no one has been able to explain clearly what ball lightning is. According to experts, the efforts of specialists in various areas of science, ranging from quantum physics to inorganic chemistry. At the same time, there are clear signs that by which ball lightning can be separated from other natural phenomena. Description of various theoretical models of ball lightning, laboratory studies, thousands of photographs allow scientists determine many parameters and characteristic properties of this phenomenon. 1. Firstly, why are they called ball? Overwhelming majority witnesses say they saw the ball. True, there are others forms – mushroom, pear, drop, torus, lens or simply shapeless foggy clots. 2. The color scheme is quite diverse – lightning can be yellow, orange, red, white, bluish, green, from gray to black. By the way, there are many documentary evidence that it is heterogeneous in color or capable of it change. 3. The most typical for ball lightning is the size of 10 to 20 cm. Less commonly found are sizes from 3 to 10 cm and from 20 to 35 see 4. Regarding temperature, the opinions of experts differ. More often Altogether 100-1000 degrees Celsius is mentioned. Lightning is capable melt glass by flying through a window. 5. The energy density is amount of energy per unit volume. Do ball lightning she is a record. Those catastrophic consequences that we sometimes observe, do not give the opportunity to doubt it. 6. Intensity and glow times range from a few seconds to a few minutes. Ball lightning can shine like an ordinary light bulb in 100 watts, but sometimes it can dazzle. 7. It is widely believed that ball lightning floats, spinning slowly, at a speed 2-10 m / s Catching up with a running person is not difficult for her. 8. Lightning usually ends with explosions, sometimes splits into several parts or simply fades away. 9. More difficult just explain the behavior of ball lightning. She’s not afraid of obstacles she likes to enter houses through windows, windows and other openings. There is evidence of its passage through the walls of houses, trees and the stones. It is noticed that she is not indifferent to sockets, switches, contacts. Once in the water, ball lightning can quickly bring her to a boil. In this case, the balls burn and melt everything that found on their way. But I were quite amazing cases when lightning burned underwear, leaving outer clothing. She shaved off human hair, tearing metal objects out of her hands. Himself the man was thrown to a great distance. once ball lightning fused into a common bar all the coins lying in wallet without damaging paper money. Being intense a source of electromagnetic microwave radiation, it disables telephones, televisions, radios and others appliances where there are coils and transformers. Sometimes doing unique “things ki” – when meeting with ball lightning in people with fingers rings disappeared. Low-frequency radiation is bad affect the human psyche, causing hallucinations, the head pain, a sense of fear. On the tragic encounters with ball lightning we mentioned above. Consider the most characteristic hypotheses the emergence of this mysterious natural phenomenon. True, right away make a reservation that the stumbling block is the lack of reliable methods of reproducible production of ball lightning in controlled laboratory conditions. Experiments of unambiguous results are not give. Scientists studying this “something” cannot claim to be They study ball lightning itself. The most common were chemical models, now they have been replaced by “plasma theories”, in according to which the energy of tectonic stresses of the earth bowels can be released not only through earthquakes, but also in the form of electrical discharges, electromagnetic radiation, linear and ball lightning, as well as plasmoids – clots concentrated energy. German physicist A. Meisner is a follower of the theory that ball lightning is a ball hot plasma, furiously spinning due to some initial pulse given by a bunch of linear lightning. Famous soviet electrical engineer G.I. Babat during the Great Patriotic War conducted experiments on high-frequency currents and unexpectedly for himself reproduced ball lightning. So another hypothesis arose. Its essence lies in the fact that the centripetal forces striving tear a fireball into pieces, resist appearing on high speed rotation of the attractive force between the stratified charges. But even this hypothesis cannot explain the duration the existence of ball lightning and its tremendous energy. Did not stay in side of this problem and academician P. L. Kapitsa. In his opinion, Ball lightning is a volumetric oscillatory circuit. Lightning picks up radio waves arising from lightning discharges, i.e. receives energy from the side. Supporter of the chemical model of the ball lightning was still Francois Arago. He believed that when discharged ordinary linear lightning there are burning tangles of gas or some explosive mixtures. Famous Soviet theoretical physicist Ya. I. Frenkel I was of the opinion that ball lightning is an education, chemically caused by gaseous active substances. They burn in the presence of catalysts in the form of particles of smoke and dust. But science does not know substances with such colossal calorific value. Research Institute of Mechanics Moscow State University B. A. Parfenov put forward your version. He believes that ball lightning is toroidal. current sheath and an annular magnetic field. When they interact, air is pumped out of the inner cavity of the ball. If electromagnetic forces tend to break the ball, then pressure air, on the contrary, is trying to crush it. If these forces are balanced, then ball lightning will gain stability. From purely scientific the hypotheses that remain such, we turn to the more accessible ones, and sometimes naive versions. Supporter of a very original assumptions about the occurrence of ball lightning is a researcher abnormal phenomena Vincent X. Gaddis. In his opinion, on Earth for a long time in parallel with the protein form of life, there is another. Nature of this life (let’s call it elementals) is similar to the nature of the ball lightning bolts. Fire elementals are creatures of an alien origin, and their behavior speaks of a certain intelligence. If desired, they can take many different forms. Physicochemist from Maryland David Turner has dedicated to the study of ball lightning several years. He adheres to the version that such supernatural phenomena like poltergeist and pyrokinesis are associated with ball lightning. These puzzles are based on similar electrical and chemical processes. However, in the laboratory, confirm this. the assumption has so far failed. Attempts have long been made to connect the UFO phenomenon with ball lightning. But they all turned out to be insolvent – sizes, duration are too different the existence, form and energy saturation of these two phenomena. Supporters of even more original versions of origin ball lightning. In their opinion, they are just … optical illusion. Its essence is that with a strong flash linear lightning due to photochemical processes on the retina of the human eye an imprint remains in the form of a spot. Vision may continue in within 2-10 seconds. The failure of this hypothesis is refuted hundreds of real photos of ball lightning. We considered only some hypotheses and theories regarding such a mysterious phenomenon, like ball lightning. You can accept or not accept agree with them or reject them, but not one of them has was able to fully explain the mystery of the mysterious koloboks, and means, and tell a person how he needs to behave when meeting with this natural phenomenon.
V. Syadro, T. Iovleva, O. Ochkurova
“100 famous mysteries of nature”
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