Astronaut's Stunning Photos Reveal Elusive 'Red Sprites' Above Earth
European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen captured a rare photograph and footage of a "red sprite," an elusive lightning phenomenon that is rarely visible from Earth. The image was taken as part of the Thor-Davis experiment at Danish Technical University, which studies lightning in the upper atmosphere and its impact on greenhouse gas levels. Red sprites, which are part of Transient Luminous Events, form above thunder clouds and are mostly seen from space. The photograph captured by Mogensen shows a red sprite approximately 8.7 by 16.2 miles in size.