Naga reball

Naga reballs (Thai: ;

rtgs: bang fai

phaya nak), also known as Mekong lights, and bung fai
paya nak by the locals, is a phenomenon said to be often
seen on the Mekong River. Glowing balls are alleged to
naturally rise from the water high into the air.[1] The balls
are said to be reddish and to range in size from smaller
sparkles up to the size of basketballs. They quickly rise
up to a couple of hundred metres before disappearing.
The number of reballs reported varies between tens and
thousands per night.[2]

A similar explanation involves a similar phenomenon in

plasma physics. A free-oating plasma orb,[6] created
when surface electricity (e.g., from a capacitor) is discharged into a solution. However, most plasma ball experiments are conducted using high voltage capacitors,
microwave oscillators, or microwave ovens, rather than
in natural conditions.

3 See also
Ball lightning

Description

St. Elmos re

The reballs are most often reported around the night of

Wan Ok Phansa at the end of the Buddhist Lent in lateOctober.[3]

4 References

Naga reballs have been reported over an approximately

250 kilometre long section of Mekong river with the centre of this section approximately at Phon Phisai town in
Amphoe Phon Phisai. Balls have also been reported rising from smaller rivers, lakes and ponds in this region.

[1] 5 natural events that science can't explain: The Naga reballs. Mother Nature News.
[2] Duangmee, Phoowadon (October 10, 2008), Let there be
lights, The Nation, retrieved Dec 11, 2008
[3] Duangmee, Phoowadon (September 21, 2011). Let there
be lights. The Nation.

Causes and beliefs

[4] Brian Dunning (2009-12-09). The Naga Fireballs: What

is the source of the glowing balls that rise from the
Mekong river each October?". Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena. Retrieved 2011-11-14.

See also: Ball lightning, St. Elmos re and Will-o'-thewisp

[5] "'Science Ministry solves Naga reballs mystery'".

Although the reballs are regularly seen on the river

during the Phayanak festival, a 2002 iTV documentary
showed Laotian soldiers ring tracer rounds into the air
across the river from the festival. Skeptic Brian Dunning
suggests that it would be impossible for anyone across the
half-mile river to hear a gunshot because it would take 2.5
seconds for the sound to travel to the spectators, and by
then the crowd watching has already noticed the light and
started cheering, drowning out the sound when it would
reach them.[4]

[6] Free Floating Plasma Orb. American Physical Society.

5 External links
Bang Fai Phaya Nark (Naga reballs) Aketawan
Manowongsa (7 Feb 2003) English translation of
Thai report of the myth and science
The Nagasa at La Magie du Bouddha

Some individuals have attempted to scientically explain

the phenomenon. One explanation is that the reball is
a result of ammable phosphine gas generated by the
marshy environment.[5] However, Dunning writes that
such reballs are very unlikely to spontaneously ignite,
and would not stay lit when traveling at the speeds the
reballs are seen rising at, and that there is no science that
can explain the Naga Fireballs to be naturally produced
burning gas bubbles.[4]
1

6 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

Naga reball Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naga_fireball?oldid=700758059 Contributors: Ixfd64, Ahoerstemeier, Jengod, Henry

Flower, ClockworkLunch, Reinthal, I9Q79oL78KiL0QTFHgyc, Hintha, OGoncho, Alansohn, Melaen, Velella, Siren-Fr, Daveydweeb,
Woohookitty, Jclemens, Grammarbot, Nightscream, Jemcneill, Matt Deres, Nihiltres, Preslethe, Wisekwai, Rsrikanth05, Lanceka,
Pawyilee, SmackBot, Oatmeal batman, Andrew Reynolds, Normalityrelief, Tktktk, Patau, The Man in Question, Audiosmurf, Drinibot, Taschenrechner~enwiki, Drewerd, Julia Rossi, Ahecht, Daarznieks, Naniwako, Frank G Anderson, Funkamatic, Hamiltondaniel,
WurmWoode, Takeaway, BobKawanaka, XLinkBot, Gordsellar, Monfornot, Duttler, Addbot, Lightbot, OlEnglish, Luckas-bot, Yobot,
AnomieBOT, Jim1138, Seligne, FrescoBot, BrendanFrye, ZroBot, Sgerbic, ClueBot NG, Gareth Grith-Jones, Klaus Grner, Thailandfan, Aristitleism, Widr, Helpful Pixie Bot, BG19bot, Declangi, Harizotoh9, Snow Blizzard, Earth100, Mishka Shaw, Thrub, Mckburton
and Anonymous: 42

6.2

Images

File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

6.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0