Earthquake Lights

A 1911 eyewitness drawing by Friedrich Konzelmann of a reported earthquake light — a bright ball of light rising over Ebingen during the 16 November 1911 earthquake. This is a drawing of a reported sighting, not a photograph of earthquake lights.

About 5 min readFor centuries, witnesses have reported sheets of light and glowing orbs in the sky around earthquakes — and modern cameras have finally confirmed they are real. Rare and unpredictable, they still have no settled physical explanation: what makes the ground glow before it shakes?