Latest news with #sprites
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
ISS astronaut captures a rare phenomenon from orbit — a giant 'sprite' above a thunderstorm
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. U.S. astronaut Nichole "Vapor" Ayers captured a spectacular view of a phenomenon known as a "sprite" blazing to life above an intense thunderstorm — and she did this while orbiting 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS). "Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below," wrote Ayers in an X post showcasing the image. "We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms." Vivid, multicolored sprites are among the least understood and visually striking electrical phenomena known to manifest in Earth's upper atmosphere during intense thunderstorm events. They typically occur roughly 50 miles (80 km) above the planet's surface in the wake of powerful lightning strikes, taking on an array of otherworldly shapes composed of complex, tendril-like features and plumes of red light, according to NASA. Even so, the gigantic sprite Ayers managed to witness is a particularly impressive specimen, seen rising high above lightning-lit clouds and treading into Earth's upper atmosphere above Mexico and the U.S. All the while, the sprite appears to glow brightly alongside artificial light emanating from the cities below. Over the past few years, NASA has been working on the "Spritacular" citizen science project, which asks members of the public to contribute images of TLE sightings in an attempt to provide the scientific community with data that can be used to decode the phenomenon. These efforts are now being bolstered by orbital footage of the spectacular events, including by multiple astronauts aboard the ISS, who — like Ayers — have embraced photography as a creative outlet during their time on the station. Many questions certainly persist surrounding the nature of sprites, how and why they form and how they interact with the surrounding atmosphere — but maybe they'll have some answers soon. Editor's Note: If you capture an image of a sprite or TLE and want to share it with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronaut Captures Rare Jellyfish-Like Phenomenon Above Thunderstorm Clouds: ‘Wow ... I Caught This Sprite'
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, 36, captured a transient luminous event above thunderstorm clouds on Thursday, July 3 'As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite,' the former collegiate volleyball player said Ayers is aboard the International Space Station as pilot of SpaceX Dragon's Crew-10, which arrived at the ISS in MarchA NASA astronaut is in awe of what she witnessed above the clouds. Nichole Ayers, who is aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as pilot of SpaceX Dragon's Crew-10, captured the moment when a rare electrical phenomenon occurred above thunderstorm clouds on Thursday, July 3. 'Just. Wow,' the 36-year-old astronaut wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the red jellyfish-like electrical occurrence. 'As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite.' A sprite is 'an atmospheric phenomenon associated with lightning,' according to NASA's Earth Observatory. Providing more context, Ayers wrote, 'Sprites are TLEs or transient luminous events that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below.' 'We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms,' she concluded. This red sprite, like a previous one NASA captured in June 2024, has red tendrils associated with jellyfish sprites due to 'the positively charged lightning [interacting] with atmospheric nitrogen, creating an electrical breakdown that produces flashes of red light.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in May, Ayers talked about the beauty of being in space, where she gets to fly around the world every 90 minutes, with the chance to watch a sunset or a sunrise every 45 minutes. 'I think that 'excited' is an understatement,' Ayers, a former collegiate volleyball player, said at the time. 'I like to say the English language doesn't have the right words to describe how amazing the experience is. The launch was amazing. And then getting to come through the hatch of the International Space Station, just awesome, amazing, ecstatic.' 'It's been an amazing experience so far,' Ayers added. The NASA astronaut arrived at the ISS aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket on March 14 as part of Crew-10. While in space, Ayers and other astronauts on the mission are conducting science experiments, participating in spacewalks and working out. They will return to Earth in the fall after their six-month mission. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Wildly Beautiful and Rare "Red Sprite" Flare Seen on Earth From Orbit
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, currently stationed on board the International Space Station, shared an incredible image of a sprite — a rare weather phenomenon that's triggered high above the clouds by "intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below." The image shows the rare electrical discharge in the shape of a starkly red, upended umbrella, hovering high over a brewing storm, like some sort of occult tower from "Lord of the Rings." "Just. Wow," Ayers tweeted. "As we went over Mexico and the US this morning, I caught this sprite." Being hundreds of miles above the surface of the Earth gave Ayers the perfect vantage point to watch the stunning event unfold. "We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of [Transient Luminous Events] to thunderstorms." According to NASA, sprites can appear at altitudes of around 50 miles, which is far higher than where thunderstorms form. They often appear mere moments after lightning strikes, forming spiny tendrils of red plumes. The otherworldly phenomenon, which was first officially observed in 1989 photographs, is still poorly understood. Scientists have yet to uncover how and why they form. In 2022, NASA launched a "citizen science project," dubbed "Spritacular," to crowdsource images of the TLEs. According to the project's official website, over 800 volunteers have joined the effort, and 360 observations have been collected across 21 countries. Other TLEs include elves, an acronym for "emission of light and very low frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources," and jets, a type of cloud-to-air discharge that can appear as blue tendrils. "While sprites [and other TLEs] may appear delicate and silent in the upper atmosphere, they are often linked to powerful, sometimes devastating weather systems," University of Science and Technology of China PhD student and TLE expert Hailiang Huang told National Geographic last week. "Understanding them not only satisfies our curiosity about the upper atmosphere, but also helps us learn more about the storms we face here on Earth," he added. Best of all, studying TLEs could even help us learn about distant planets: NASA's Juno mission found evidence of sprites and elves in the atmosphere of Jupiter as well. More on sprites: NASA Crowdsourcing Investigation of Otherworldly "Sprites" in Sky
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Now that's a sprite for sore eyes! Nasa astronaut captures rare electrical event from above the clouds in stunning image
A Nasa astronaut has captured a stunning image of an electrical event where a brilliant red light flashed through the atmosphere. Nichole 'Vapor' Ayers shared the photo of what is known as a Transient Luminous Event (TLE) seen above a thunderstorm over Mexico and the US earlier in the week. It is thought the phenomenon was triggered by positive cloud-to-ground lightning strikes which produce an electric field that extends miles above a thunderstorm into the upper atmosphere. Ms Ayers captioned the image: 'Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite. 'Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below. 'We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms.' There is some debate over whether Ms Ayers captured a sprite or what is known as a gigantic jet - both TLEs. Gigantic jets start inside the anvil and reach through the cloud up to the ionosphere. Sprites are difficult to observe from the ground and it is still not known exactly why some lightning bolts trigger them while others do not. The striking TLE in Ms Ayers' photo appears mostly red in colour - most of the phenomena last only a fraction of a second and can rarely be seen unless the observer is orbiting some 250 miles above the Earth's surface. Other forms of TLEs include elves, blue jets and ghosts - all of which occur well above the Earth's surface in the stratosphere, mesophere and even the thermosphere. Ayers is currently aboard the International Space Station as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission which launched in March and is expected to remain in outer space through at least August. The purpose of the mission is to conduct hundreds of scientific experiments, including testing the flammability of material as well as studies examining physiological and psychological effects of space on the human body.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronaut snaps giant red 'jellyfish' sprite over North America during upward-shooting lightning event
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A NASA astronaut has captured an electrifying image of Earth from space, featuring a gigantic, jellyfish-shaped "sprite" of red lightning shooting upwards above a thunderstorm in North America. The rare phenomenon is still poorly understood, despite being studied for more than 30 years. Nichole Ayers, the pilot of SpaceX's Crew-10 mission and member of International Space Station (ISS) expeditions 72 and 73, snapped the striking photo on Thursday (July 3) as the space station passed above a large thunderstorm hanging over parts of Mexico and the southern U.S., including California and Texas. "Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite," Ayers wrote on the social platform X. "Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below," she added. TLEs are a range of visual phenomena that occur in the upper atmosphere during thunderstorms, including upward-shooting blue jets and UFO-like rings of light, known as ELVES. However, the most common TLEs are sprites, like the one photographed by Ayers. Sprites are sometimes referred to as jellyfish because they contain multiple branches of light that spread out like tentacles, while others call them "carrots" because they can be accompanied by fainter tendrils that trail behind them in the opposite direction like plant roots. They are often associated with large thunderstorms, including those produced by hurricanes. Related: Electrifying time-lapse image captures 100 lightning bolts torching the sky Sprites can range in size and shape, with the largest reaching up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth's surface. They have a red color because they interact with nitrogen in the upper atmosphere, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. Sprites were first properly observed in the 1950s by airline passengers but were not photographed until 1989. The red jellyfish have also been spotted in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and they are thought to occur on Saturn and Venus, according to Live Science's sister site But despite years of research, researchers are still unsure why some lightning strikes cause sprites and others don't, according to FOX Weather. Sprites and other TLEs can be photographed from Earth's surface if the conditions are right. However, ISS astronauts are uniquely well-positioned to see TLEs and frequently see the flashes of lightning strikes at the same time, providing useful data to help researchers figure out how these phenomena work. RELATED STORIES —What happens if you get struck by lightning… and survive? —Why does lightning zigzag? —What's the longest lightning bolt ever recorded? "We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms," Ayers wrote. One of the most recent examples of this was in March, when an unnamed ISS astronaut snapped faint red sprites glowing at the end of a "gigantic jet" of lightning shooting upward above New Orleans. Another excellent example was an eerie red jellyfish that seemed to float independently in Earth's atmosphere, high above a flash of lightning in June 2024, previously reported.
