There are a variety of different forms of lightning. Also, observers
see lightning differently depending on where they are situated. Major forms of lightning
include forked lightning, streak lightning, ribbon lightning, and chain lightning. There
are also rare forms of lightning such as ball lightning, red sprites, blue jets, and elves
that have been documented.
-Forked lightning is lightning in which visible branches are present.
-Streak lightning is a bolt that appears to be a single arc shaped line.
-Ribbon lightning is viewed as parallel streaks of light. It is caused when winds separate
the strokes of the bolt.
-Chain lightning (also called Bead lightning) is characterized by a bolt that breaks into
dotted lines as it fades.
-Ball lightning's appearance is that of a fiery glowing ball (usually in red, yellow, or
orange) which floats several feet above the ground. It can be as big as a grapefruit in
size. It has also been reported to have been floating within houses and barns. It is
unknown why ball lightning occurs and what it is made of.
-Red sprites are characterized as a dim, reddish-colored burst. They only last for a
couple thousandth of a second and can be numerous kilometers wide. They appear suddenly,
most likely more than one at a time, and rise up to 90 kilometers above the cloud layer.
-Blue jets are cone-shaped bursts that spring forth
from the center of a thunderstorm at speeds up to six thousand
kilometers per hour. The rise up to 50 kilometers above the cloud tops and are brighter
than red sprites.
-Elves are bursts of light shaped like a doughnut or saucer. They are about four hundred
kilometers wide and occur one hundred kilometers above the cloud tops. They last for less
than one thousandth of a second and are theorized to be green in color.