Eli Jerby and Vladimir Dikhtyar from the University of Tel Aviv in Israel created a laboratory version of ball lightning using a device referred to as a "microwave drill." The drill uses a 600-watt magnetron taken from a commercial microwave oven, which can direct microwave beams that bore through solid objects (and I thought putting a spoon in a microwave was cool!). Says Jerby of the experiment:
"Our experiment confirms to some extent the theory that ball lightning originates from hot spots in the ground created by normal lightning."
Check out these videos of their work:
Fire Column
Floating Fireball.
I'm trying to remember from my youth, is ball lightning the same thing as St. Elmo's Fire?
