Scientists documented over 100 red sprite lightning strikes above the Himalayas, providing new insights into high-altitude electrical phenomena and highlighting the region's unique geography in influencing storm dynamics. The event underscores the importance of citizen scientists in atmospheric research and advances understanding of how thunderstorms impact the Earth's upper atmosphere and climate.
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, commander of ISS Expedition 70, captured a photograph of a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a red sprite lightning using a specialized Davis camera attached to the International Space Station. Red sprites are electrical discharges generated above rainclouds at an altitude between 40 and 80 kilometers and exist for only a fraction of a second. The image captured by Mogensen is estimated to have stretched 14 by 26 kilometers across the sky and contributes to our understanding of atmospheric and environmental dynamics.
ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, commander of ISS Expedition 70, captured a photograph of a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a red sprite from the International Space Station. Using a specialized Davis camera, Mogensen snapped images of the fleeting flashes of red light that occur above thunderclouds. Red sprites are electrical discharges generated above rainclouds and exist for only a fraction of a second. The captured sprite stretched 14 by 26 kilometers across the sky, contributing to our understanding of atmospheric and environmental dynamics.
