We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. All the buildings struck by lightning were reportedly taller than 1,000 feet, Bolts from Monday's storms sparked at least one house fire in the 3500 block of South Park Avenue in Chicago. A rare weather phenomenon known as ball lightning, or St. Elmo’s Fire, has been observed in nature for the first time by Chinese scientists. Type at least three characters to start auto complete. Gove reveals importance of protecting public health during Christmas, Man confronts vandal posting swastika stickers in Fairfax, CA, Shocking footage shows a crazed young swimmer screaming at landowner, Crowds gather in Hyde Park to protest against lockdown restrictions, Shocking scenes as anti-lockdown protestors clash with police, Dog recovers at vets after owner tried to drown her in a river, Rishi Sunak fails to rule out tax rises during Sky interview, Street fight breaks out in Melbourne after a road rage incident, Swedish taxi drivers doing pick up and drop off Covid testing, Adorable playful puppy surprises training firefighter with a kiss, DIY SOS transform two-bedroom bungalow into stunning family home, Adorable moment baby lion and chimpanzee play with each other, Freelance videographer Craig Shimala set up a GoPro at Skydeck Chicago to shoot video of the lightning display as severe thunderstorms rolled through the Windy City Monday night, The electric bursts reportedly struck four of the city's tallest buildings in a rare occurrence of what's called 'upward lightning', Upward strikes typically occur after positive charges from a cloud to ground strike leave an imbalance of positive energy on a building or tower, which shoots a bolt into the sky to meet and balance out a mirroring negative charge, The phenomenon usually involves tall man-made structure, like skyscrapers, and follows the more common cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. It’s rare and unpredictable, which is why researchers don’t know much about it. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Some nineteenth century reports describe balls that eventually explode and leave behind an odor of sulfur. Published: 20:32 GMT, 25 April 2019 | Updated: 20:57 GMT, 25 April 2019. MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Amazing Lightning Photos. Ball lightning, a moving luminous sphere observed during thunderstorms, probably exists. Recently searched locations will be displayed if there is no search query. The result was bright white plasmoid balls. In a report published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry, researchers at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado last year figured out how to reproduce ball lightning in the lab. Those nanoparticles emit a ball of light as they wear down. Scientists in the Quinhai region of China were monitoring a thunderstorm in 2012 with video cameras and spectrometer, when they recorded the ball lightning. Trees, always. The buildings struck by lightning were reportedly taller than 1,000 feet. The electric bursts reportedly struck four of the city's tallest buildings. It sometimes has a blue glow and can emanate from objects like lightning rods or ship masts. Democratic Republic of the Congo | Français, State of Vatican City (Holy See) | Italiano. Monster Sinkhole in Florida Swallows Pool, Forces Families to Flee, Cold or Flu? The first option will be automatically selected. Going out with a BANG! 9 Ways to Tell the Difference. Use up and down arrows to change selection. Credit: dhwicker, Arkansas Will Pay $10,000 If You Move There. Charles Darwin Notebooks Worth Millions Stolen from Library? We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The comments below have not been moderated. Ball lightning is a lightning phenomenon that happens during thunderstorms. Mother nature's power and beauty were on full display in Chicago Monday night when lightning lit up the city's skyline. The phenomenon usually involves tall man-made structure, like skyscrapers, and follows the more common cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. The lighting may be beautiful, but it's also dangerous. It’s rare and unpredictable, which is why researchers don’t know much about it. Mother nature's power and beauty were on full display in Chicago Monday night when lightning lit up the city's skyline. Freelance videographer Craig Shimala set up a GoPro at Skydeck Chicago to shoot video of the dynamic flashes as they danced frantically across the heavens throughout the evening Monday. How Winter Fashion Has Changed in 100 Years (PHOTOS), Eerie Vintage Photos of People Battling the Flu. It can last more than a second, which is considered long-lived for lightning, but it’s hard to capture and study. Ball lightning is a lightning phenomenon that happens during thunderstorms. Which City Is the Worst for Fall Allergies This Year? Because of the difficulty in capturing ball lightning, scientists don’t know much about it. Take control of your data. Simultaneous Lightning Strikes Illuminate Chicago Skyline - Storyful Video. Use escape to clear. In layman’s terms, ball lightning is a big flash of light that looks circular that appears in the sky during a storm. Deckchairs and sunbeds are packed... Ed Sheeran issues a public apology as he is forced to cancel... 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A popular theory is when lightning hits something, it blasts a cloud of highly energized nanoparticles in to the air. Chicago, IL USA - Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 08:44:15 (PDT) As a child growing up in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania (a small town west of Philadelphia) Our area was always getting hit by lightning. The electric bursts reportedly struck four of the city's tallest buildings in a rare occurrence of what's called 'upward lightning,' according to the Washington Post. Upward strikes typically occur after positive charges from a cloud to ground strike leave an imbalance of positive energy on a building or tower, which shoots a bolt into the sky to meet and balance out a mirroring negative charge. Craig Shimala on Twitter: "Basically captured the entire skyline of Chicago getting struck by lighting at the same time tonight! Ball lightning is an unexplained phenomenon described as luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the phenomenon is said to last considerably longer than the split-second flash of a lightning bolt. © Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2020, From the Florida Everglades. Descriptions of ball lightning appear in a variety of accounts over the centuries, and have received much attention from scie… They used electrodes partially submerged in electrolyte solution to create the high-power electric sparks. Bolts from Monday's storms sparked at least one house fire in the 3500 block of South Park Avenue in Chicago, although no one was injured, according to NBC Chicago. The dazzling light show accompanied severe thunderstorms that brought hail and heavy downpours of rain with winds moving 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service.