Scientists finally crack mystery of eerie ‘ghost lantern’ orbs linked to strange whispers and slamming doors

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Stories of strange “ghostly” light orbs spotted hovering over railroad tracks around Summerville, South Carolina, and linked to eerie sounds in the area could be due to a seismic phenomenon, a new study says. Sightings of the strange light began to be spun into ghost stories circulated in the 1950s to 1960s, including instances of the orbs slamming doors and making eerie sounds. In the latest study, seismologist Susan E Hough from the US Geological Survey suggests Summerville's “ghost” lore could be resulting from the area’s unusual mix of shallow faults and railroad tracks in the eastern US. Summerville’s strange light phenomenon might be shallow earthquakes in the area that could have released a water-soluble gas like radon or methane, which then got ignited by a spark of static electricity or rock movement, the seismologist says.