Rare Transient Luminous Event: Astronaut Captures Mystifying 'Red Sprite' Phenomenon from Space
The Thor-Davis experiment, conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS), successfully captured rare Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) known as red sprites using a special neuromorphic camera. These upper atmospheric lightning phenomena, occurring between 40 and 80 kilometers above the Earth's surface, are poorly understood due to limited ground observations. The experiment aims to study the vertical structure of TLEs and their impact on atmospheric chemistry, particularly greenhouse gas concentrations. The recent images obtained by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen during the Huginn mission provide valuable insights into these elusive atmospheric phenomena.