Ball lightning is one of nature’s strangest light shows—famous yet rarely seen. For centuries, people have reported glowing orbs drifting through the air during storms, only to vanish in a flash. Long dismissed as myth, ball lightning has gained some scientific respect, though photos are still elusive (and no, that overexposed lightning shot isn’t it). Theories abound, but the mystery remains: what exactly is this eerie, electric sphere that refuses to be pinned down?
Click through the gallery to explore the stories, theories, and imagery surrounding this incredible phenomenon.