Tiny sparks between bubbles may explain what ignites will-o’-the-wisps

Science News reports that, in a 2025 study, chemists captured tiny electrical sparks between methane-and-air bubbles in water. The team proposes that such sparks might ignite the methane thought to fuel will-o’-the-wisps. Other chemists caution that the experiments happened underwater, while the mysterious lights are reported to hover in air. What ignites the lights remains unresolved.