What Is the Difference Between St. Elmo's Fire and Ball Lightning?

💡 The Answer

• St. Elmo's fire is a stationary plasma glow on pointed objects, while lightning" class="text-purple-600 hover:text-purple-800 hover:underline font-medium">ball lightning is a luminous, moving sphere.
• Ball lightning lasts seconds to minutes, often floating erratically, whereas St. Elmo's fire persists as long as the field remains.
• St. Elmo's fire is well-understood as corona discharge; ball lightning remains poorly explained and rare.
• Ball lightning can explode or cause damage, but St. Elmo's fire is harmless and static.