10. Static Electricity Buildup
The accumulation of static charge in daily surroundings is one of the most often occurring and unexpectedly relevant events that could help to generate ball lightning. You probably come seen this phenomena often, maybe without noticing its possible relationship to ball lightning. An imbalance of electric charges either inside or on the surface of a substance generates static electricity. It’s the same reaction that causes your hair to stand on end when you push a balloon against it or shocks you slightly when you touch a metal doorknob after walking across a carpeted floor. Under some climatic conditions—especially in very dry air—static electricity can build to really high levels. Under the correct conditions, some scientists speculate that this accumulation of static charge may ionize the surrounding air, producing a small, luminous orb of plasma – basically, a little form of ball lightning. Although most static electricity discharges are benign and hardly observable, the theory that under extreme conditions they could help ball lightning to develop is an interesting potential. This notion is especially fascinating since it implies that the roots of this enigmatic occurrence could be present in our daily life and just waiting for the correct environment to show up in more dramatic form.
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