Tag

Upper Atmospheric Lightning

All articles tagged with #upper atmospheric lightning

science2 years ago•3 min saved

"Discovery: Unraveling the Enigma of Mesospheric Ghosts"

In 2019, nature documentarian Hank Schyma captured a mysterious green afterglow, dubbed the "green ghost," following red sprite events during intense thunderstorms. This rare mesospheric emission, requiring specific atmospheric conditions and asteroid dust, was finally documented by astrophysicists in a study published in "Nature Communications" in 2023. The green ghost appears in the footprint of a red sprite and has been observed by amateur storm chasers more frequently than researchers, with the U.S. Great Plains being notorious for their large quantities of sprites.

via Big Think|

#atmospheric-phenomena #green-ghost #mesospheric-ghosts

science-and-technology2 years ago•1 min saved

Astronaut's Stunning Image Reveals Elusive "Red Sprite" Above Earth

Astronaut Andreas Mogensen, on behalf of the European Space Agency, captured images of a rare meteorological phenomenon known as a red sprite using a high-resolution camera. Red sprites are transient luminous events that occur above thunderclouds at altitudes between 40 and 80 kilometers above the Earth's surface. These quick and elusive events pose challenges for scientists to study comprehensively, but further research can provide valuable insights into upper atmospheric activities.

via NDTV|

#astronaut #european-space-agency #red-sprite

space-science2 years ago•2 min saved

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.

via The Debrief|

#atmospheric-phenomena #international-space-station #space-science