Here’s what might spark ghostly will-o’-the-wisps

Jostling microbubbles of air and methane can create tiny lightning zaps, lab tests show

A black and white engraving of a bright light hovering over a swampy creek. Trees overhang the water and two people are shown walking nearby, while a castle looms in the background.

Glowing balls of bluish light have been seen above swamps and cemeteries around the world, as seen in this early 1800s engraving. Swamp will-o’-the-wisps are believed to be the burning of seeping methane gas. But what ignites that gas has been shrouded in mystery.

Grosvenor Prints (CC BY 4.0)

Under a midnight moon, Luigi Garlaschelli peered out over graves.