An early scientific report of ball lightning from Brazil

Abstract

Ball lightning is a curious, complex and multifaceted atmospheric phenomenon whose nature remains a subject of some controversy. Eyewitness reports of ball lightning allow a fuller and more objective description of the phenomenon to be formulated. This work presents a report describing a ball lightning event observed on 19 February 1783 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) by Bento Sanches Dorta.

Ball lightning: a Renaissance account from Zafra (Spain)

“…Although he maintained strong ties with the town of Zafra throughout his life, he resided outside it for much time, making numerous journeys related to his position of a noble of the court. His full name was Pedro The scientific literature includes some references to reports of this type of atmospheric phenomenon in historical sources (Coleman, 2006;Durand and Wilson, 2006;Farrona and Vaquero, 2012). None, however, correspond to examples earlier than that reported by Count Don Pedro.…”

Weather, Vol. 77, no. 7, July 2022, pp. 230–268

“…One may assume that the man whose 'head was broken, his skull rent into three pieces, and his braines throwne upon the ground whole' (Rowe, 1905), was a victim of falling timber or masonry rather than ball lightning. The next early modern observation, by Sanches Dorta in 1783 in Brazil, is less ambiguous, (Farrona and Vaquero, 2012).…”

A marvellous sign and a fiery globe: a medieval English report of ball lightning

“…One may assume that the man whose ‘head was broken, his skull rent into three pieces, and his braines throwne upon the ground whole’ (Rowe, 1905), was a victim of falling timber or masonry rather than ball lightning. The next early modern observation, by Sanches Dorta in 1783 in Brazil, is less ambiguous, (Farrona and Vaquero, 2012).…”