Brian and Giles are members of the Ordered Universe project.Read more about the research in this article first published in The Conversation. The research was led by Emeritus Professor Brian Tanner, in our Department of Physics, and Professor Giles Gasper, in our Department of History.Read the research paper in the Royal Meteorological Society’s journal, Weather.Professor Gasper added: “Given that Gervase appears to be a reliable reporter, we believe that his description of the fiery globe on the Thames on 7 June 1195 was the first fully convincing account of ball lightning anywhere.” Find out more Our researchers also looked at Gervase’s credibility as a writer and a witness, having previously examined his records of eclipses and a description of the splitting of the image of the crescent moon. “Gervase’s description of a white substance coming out of the dark cloud, falling as a spinning fiery sphere and then having some horizontal motion is very similar to historic and contemporary descriptions of ball lightning.” A reliable reporter Charles Hoy Fort, (1874-1932), collected notes upon many subjects. Originally uploaded to Wikipedia by Dencey. Professor Tanner said: “Ball lightning is a rare weather event that is still not understood today. 19th century engraving depicting ball lightning. Prior to Gervase’s account, the earliest report of ball lightning from England is during a great thunderstorm in Widecombe, Devon on 21 October 1638. The Durham researchers compared the text in Gervase’s Chronicle with historical and modern reports of ball lightning. He went on to describe a dense and dark cloud, emitting a white substance which grew into a spherical shape under the cloud, from which a fiery globe fell towards the river. In his Chronicle, composed around 1200, Gervase stated that “a marvellous sign descended near London” on 7 June 1195.
The account, by the 12 th century Benedictine monk Gervase of Christ Church Cathedral Priory, Canterbury, pre-dates the previous earliest known description of ball lightning recorded in England by nearly 450 years. A ball lightning globe winks out if it exceeds the spell’s range.Ball lightning, usually associated with thunderstorms, is unexplained and has been described as a bright spherical object on average 25 centimetres, but sometimes up to several metres, in diameter.Įmeritus physicist Emeritus Professor Brian Tanner and historian Professor Giles Gasper, made the connection to a ball lightning event while exploring a medieval text written some 750 years ago. These globes have no mass and cannot push aside unwilling creatures or move solid objects. Creatures wearing metal armor take a -4 penalty on this Saving Throw.Įach globe moves as long as you actively direct it (it’s a move action for you to direct all the spheres created by a single casting of this spell) otherwise they stay at rest. If a globe enters a space with a creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 points of electricity damage to that creature, though a successful Reflex save negates the damage. Wind does not affect a flying sphere’s course. These globes fly at a rate of 20 feet per round and have perfect maneuverability. For every 4 caster levels above 7th, you create an additional globe of lightning (3 globes at 11th, 4 globes at 15th, to the maximum of 5 globes at 19th). You create two globes of lightning that fly in whichever direction you indicate. Saving Throw Reflex negates Spell Resistance yes School evocation Level bloodrager 4, druid 4, magus 4, shaman 4, sorcerer/wizard 4 Elemental School air 4Ĭomponents V, S, M/DF (a small iron ring)Įffect two or more 5-ft.-diameter spheres
0 kommentar(er)
