Astronaut's Space-Based Photo of Red Sprite Lights Up Atmospheric Research

Astronaut Captures Elusive Red Sprite in Space, Aiding Atmospheric Research

While orbiting above North America, NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers photographed a rare and captivating sight: glowing red lights shimmering in Earth's upper atmosphere. This phenomenon, known as a Transient Luminous Event (TLE), or more commonly as a "sprite," manifested as a fleeting burst of red light above thunderstorms spanning Mexico and the United States.

Red sprite captured from space by astronaut Nichole Ayers.

These sprites, a type of TLE, are brief flashes of red light that occur high above powerful thunderstorms. These massive discharges of electrical energy can extend up to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface and are composed of "cold plasma," similar to the glow within a fluorescent light.

Due to their high altitude and short duration, sprites are rarely visible from the ground, making Ayers' space-based capture particularly significant.

Ayers shared the image on X, saying, "Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite."

She further explained, "Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below."

Sprites have long fascinated scientists and pilots alike. These brief, jellyfish-shaped flashes shoot upward into the atmosphere and disappear in milliseconds. For nearly a century, pilots reported observing them, but many scientists dismissed these reports as myths or optical illusions. This perception shifted in 1989 when the first clear image of a sprite was accidentally captured on camera.

According to NASA, sprites occur when strong lightning discharges interact with the Earth's ionosphere. As the discharge travels upward and collides with nitrogen molecules, it produces a reddish glow. Sprites are categorized within a broader group of upper-atmosphere phenomena, including blue jets and red elves.

The image sparked both amazement and curiosity among viewers online. One user commented, "Sprite... one of the rarest of rare celestial phenomenon."

Another inquired, "How long do the sprites last? Is this a still shot taken from a video? What altitude did this one reach? The more we find out, it becomes obvious we know far less than we thought."