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What is plasma orbs or ball lightning?


SwampgasBalloonBoy

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From reading this site, I have seen that plasma orbs or ball lightning are being use to explain away some of the UFO sightings. Since I am not familiar with what they are, I have a few questions. Are they the same phenomenon? Have they been accepted by the scientific community? or is it still up for debate? Thanks

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Ball lightening is still sort of open as to what it actually is, it is a real phenomenon, just one that is not completely understood.

Orbs.....are nothing more than reflections of camera flashes on dust particles or water droplets floating in the air. They're often given some sort of paranormal dimension or quality by people who haven't bothered to attempt to find the right answer. They are often used as "proof" of some sort of paranormal activity. Fact is there is nothing paranormal about them at all.

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From reading this site, I have seen that plasma orbs or ball lightning are being use to explain away some of the UFO sightings. Since I am not familiar with what they are, I have a few questions. Are they the same phenomenon?

No, not really but somewhat.

Have they been accepted by the scientific community? or is it still up for debate? Thanks

In part it has been accepted and it is also still being debated.

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Ball lightening is still sort of open as to what it actually is, it is a real phenomenon, just one that is not completely understood.

Orbs.....are nothing more than reflections of camera flashes on dust particles or water droplets floating in the air. They're often given some sort of paranormal dimension or quality by people who haven't bothered to attempt to find the right answer. They are often used as "proof" of some sort of paranormal activity. Fact is there is nothing paranormal about them at all.

Thanks for the info. So the plasma orbs phenomenon have not been accepted to be real. No wonder when I searched it online, things come up that I can buy. :)

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Thanks for the info. So the plasma orbs phenomenon have not been accepted to be real. No wonder when I searched it online, things come up that I can buy. :)

You can purchase a plasma orb because they do make them. I have one. It is merely a glass sphere inside of which is a mechanism for producing plasma. Very easily done.

However, I think your question is refering to ball lightning whcih is believed to be plasma, although research is still ongoing. Ball lightning is very rare therefore difficult to investigate.

It is definitely a genuine phenonemon though. :)

edit....forgot to say.....welcome to UM :)

Edited by Englishgent
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In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms (reduce or increase the number of electrons in them), thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions.[1] Ionization can be induced by other means, such as strong electromagnetic field applied with a laser or microwave generator, and is accompanied by the dissociation of molecular bonds, if present.[2]

The presence of a non-negligible number of charge carriers makes the plasma electrically conductive so that it responds strongly to electromagnetic fields. Plasma, therefore, has properties quite unlike those of solids, liquids, or gases and is considered a distinct state of matter. Like gas, plasma does not have a definite shape or a definite volume unless enclosed in a container; unlike gas, under the influence of a magnetic field, it may form structures such as filaments, beams and double layer. Some common plasmas are found in stars and neon signs. In the universe, plasma is the most common state of matter for ordinary matter, most of which is in the rarefied intergalactic plasma (particularlyintracluster medium) and in stars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

Plasmas are phenomena that are fairly well understood in most instances however plasma research is relatively new and there is still much to be learned. Most plasmas are located in space (nebula) or are manufactured in labs or used in the manufacture of a wide variety of items. Recently it has been established that plasmas can form within Earth's atmosphere through research in Hessdalen, Norway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hessdalen_light

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During WWII, when the RAF and US Air Force were making many many bombing runs going into Germany, they frequently reported being harrassed by these bright orbs, flying all around the craft. Not one time did an orb do any harm to an aircraft, and once that I know, a pilot reported flying thru one such orb and it simply disipated

The orbs were dubbed "Foo Fighters" - named after a cartoon character of the peroid (wikipedia has its own explanation).

In a documentary that I saw, a Brit researcher said that between the RAF and USAF pilots, "thousands" of reports were filed about these foo fighters.

here is a snip from Wiki:

Foo fighter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the aerial phenomenon. For the rock band, see Foo Fighters.

The term foo fighter was used by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II to describe various UFOs or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific Theater of Operations.

Though "foo fighter" initially described a type of UFO reported and named by the U.S. 415th Night Fighter Squadron, the term was also commonly used to mean any UFO sighting from that period.[1]

Formally reported from November 1944 onwards, witnesses often assumed that the foo fighters were secret weapons employed by the enemy, but they remained unidentified post-war and were reported by both Allied and Axis forces. Michael D. Swords[2] writes:

During WWII, the foo fighter experiences of [Allied] pilots were taken very seriously. Accounts of these cases were presented to heavyweight scientists, such as
,
and
. The phenomenon was never explained. Most of the information about the issue has never been released by military intelligence.

enjoy

Edited by Earl.Of.Trumps
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ok..

Thanks for the info. So the plasma orbs phenomenon have not been accepted to be real. No wonder when I searched it online, things come up that I can buy. :)

I think keninsc is talking about paranormal Orbs, not plasma orbs. I think you are talking about plasma orbs, not paranormal Orbs.

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Ghostly orbs are the most photographed anomalies caught on film by ghost hunters,... they are quite photogenic (when they want to be).

In reality they are circular artifacts that occur in flash photography. http://www.rense.com...eral69/orbs.htm

More example images. http://en.wikipedia....#Example_images

Edited by Hazzard
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I have seen this phenomenon with my own eyes but indoors! Many years ago I worked at a video store that had neon lights running all around the ceiling. For reasons that I am sure one can imagine a fellow employee was spraying air freshener and he sprayed a lot and next thing you know a ball of light flew through the air and ran right into the glass door and made a popping sound. When we looked at the door where it hit there was a perfectly round spot of residue on the glass. My assumption at the time was that it was static electricity that somehow jumped from the neon lights to the conductor (i.e. air freshener) that was sprayed in the air and was able to travel through the air. I did find it odd that it would leave a residue on the glass ass I would think the electric charge would use the particulates in the air as a means of travel and not actually carry it and deposit it on the glass. Any thoughts? Would this be considered a similar scenario to ball lightning?

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I experienced something that might be what is called ball lightning in 1981. I don't know , but I was amazed whatever it was. I just moved to the country and there was a lightning thunder then a small storm which ended up with a beautiful sunset and rainbow that evening. I walked in the door from work and left the screen open since the air was so fresh from the rain. I was surprised when I saw a ball of light come floating and stopped in the living room for about 40 seconds or so. It was white like a florescent light and a little bigger than a basketball. I assume it came through the door but I didn't see where it came from since I was too busy just coming home to notice. It moved toward the large bay window but it popped as it went to a lamp I just turned on ! It flashed like an old time big flash bulb even the same kind of sound but sort of like a small clap of thunder. It smelled like an electrical fire after but there was no fire. The lamp shade smelled and had residue on it because there was some smoke when it happened. When it happened, it was just raining and part of the sky seemed to have a strange yellow hue but it was just before the big lightning and downpour part of the storm. It was part of the storm obviously.

I always wondered if ball lightning is the answer to the mystery of unexplained spontaneous combustion?

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I experienced something that might be what is called ball lightning in 1981. I don't know , but I was amazed whatever it was. I just moved to the country and there was a lightning thunder then a small storm which ended up with a beautiful sunset and rainbow that evening. I walked in the door from work and left the screen open since the air was so fresh from the rain. I was surprised when I saw a ball of light come floating and stopped in the living room for about 40 seconds or so. It was white like a florescent light and a little bigger than a basketball. I assume it came through the door but I didn't see where it came from since I was too busy just coming home to notice. It moved toward the large bay window but it popped as it went to a lamp I just turned on ! It flashed like an old time big flash bulb even the same kind of sound but sort of like a small clap of thunder. It smelled like an electrical fire after but there was no fire. The lamp shade smelled and had residue on it because there was some smoke when it happened. When it happened, it was just raining and part of the sky seemed to have a strange yellow hue but it was just before the big lightning and downpour part of the storm. It was part of the storm obviously.

I always wondered if ball lightning is the answer to the mystery of unexplained spontaneous combustion?

interesting story.

I think if I saw a ball of light the size of a basketball hovering in my living room, I'd be soiling my BVD's LOL

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Earl Of Trumps

You wouldn't believe the thoughts that go through your head,after you say "holy ****!" I thought the house would catch fire because all I could think is this must be what they call ball lightning and somethings going to get electricuted or catch fire if it doesn't get out. My dog yipped before he ran out of the room to hide under the bed. Man's best friend didn't want to play with that ball LOL That's when I first noticed it. I was afraid to move when I saw it floating because I didn't know where it was headed.It seemed like if I moved it moved too...probably only my imagination since I was freaked. It happened quickly but it felt like forever. If it wasn't so quick I know I would have peed myself because I went to the bathroom after instead of going under the bed. A neighbor, a pilot, told me stories of ball lightning but I just never thought what ever he saw could enter a house. That's when a theory for spontaneous combustion came to me, I really thought I was going to get fried. After it's over you laugh at yourself and think the world is just full of things to discover. It was like being an ancient tribesman and seeing an eclipse for the first time . You don't have a clue of what's really happening and the world might even be coming to an end! . My husband came home and said lots of people in town had seen ball lightning before but it just doesn't happen that often, like years in between. I never saw wild coyotos, deers either before I moved there so I didn't really think much about it except it's a natural thing just like the thunder and the rainbow.

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sorry ...Excuse me, you may can look for rc helicopter here!!!

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Rc Hobby|Rc Helicopter Reviews

I hope all your rc helicopters get struck by ball lightning!

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