Picture this: a glowing, orange fireball the size of a basketball hurls through a Texas thunderstorm, zigzagging like a scene ripped from Star Wars, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. No, you haven’t fallen into a sci-fi movie, this actually happened in the Lone Star State, and thanks to a lucky Facebook video, we now have rare proof of one of nature’s most baffling spectacles: ball lightning. This isn’t your garden-variety lightning bolt. It’s a floating, sizzling sphere of mystery that defies logic, smells like rotten eggs, and has been known to blow through walls, zap churches, and even kill scientists. And now, it’s officially gone viral, Texas-style.
The Texas Video That Lit Up the Internet
In a jaw-dropping clip shared on Facebook, a bright, spherical glow can be seen drifting through the storm-lit sky, moving with eerie calmness before vanishing into the night. The footage, uploaded by J.C. Sheppard, shows a classic example of ball lightning, estimated to be a couple of feet in diameter. Unlike regular lightning, which flashes and fades in a split second, this glowing orb lingered, pulsed, and moved with a mind of its own.
Texans are no strangers to wild weather, but this? This was next-level. The video quickly went viral, with commenters half-joking that it was either an alien drone or a sign from the cosmos. But scientists say it’s far more grounded—literally. It’s likely the result of a lightning strike hitting the soil, vaporising silica, and creating a self-sustaining ball of glowing plasma. In other words: nature just cooked up a dirt-powered disco ball.
When Lightning Turns Into a Killer Fireball
Ball lightning isn’t just a quirky light show, it’s got a dark side. One of the most terrifying accounts dates back to 1638 in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, England, where an eight-foot-wide fireball blasted into a church during a storm, killing four people and injuring 60. It shattered windows, hurled stones, and filled the air with a stench of sulphur. Locals were convinced it was the devil. Scientists now believe it was one of the earliest recorded cases of ball lightning, and proof that this phenomenon is as destructive as it is mysterious.
Even more chilling? In 1753, Russian scientist Georg Richmann was killed by ball lightning while conducting a kite experiment similar to Benjamin Franklin’s. The fiery orb zapped down the string, struck his head, blew his shoes apart, and left a red mark on his forehead. Talk about a shocking end to a research project.
Science vs. the Spooky Orb: What Is It?
Despite centuries of sightings, ball lightning remains one of the great unsolved puzzles of atmospheric science. But in 2014, Chinese researchers caught it on video and recorded its spectrum, revealing it was loaded with silicon, iron, and calcium: the very elements found in soil. This supports the leading theory: when lightning hits the ground, it vaporises silica, which then condenses into a glowing, floating ball as it oxidises in the air. In short, ball lightning might just be burning dirt, but dirt with a serious attitude.
Other theories range from microwave bubbles to magnetic hallucinations, but none explain everything, like how it passes through glass or appears inside sealed aircraft. One pilot in 1963 even watched a glowing sphere float down the aisle of his plane like a confused passenger. No ticket, no boarding pass, just pure atmospheric weirdness.
Could You Make One in Your Microwave?
Believe it or not, you can create a mini version at home, though we do not recommend it. Place a lit match in your microwave, zap it for a few seconds, and you might see a small, floating plasma ball. (Spoiler: it’ll probably destroy your microwave.) Scientists have also made similar orbs in labs using silicon wafers and high-voltage capacitors. But while these lab versions look the part, they’re not quite the same as the real, storm-born, church-busting deal.
So next time a thunderstorm rolls across East Texas, don’t just hide under the table. Grab your phone, point it skyward, and keep an eye out. You might just catch lightning in a bottle—or at least, on video.
