ISS Observes Puzzling Luminous Spheres
Alien Invasion or Celestial Dance? The Enigmatic Glow of Red Sprites
Ever thought those glowing orbs in the night sky were an extraterrestrial invasion threat? Think again! These ethereal blue orbs lighting up Earth's upper atmosphere are not UFOs, but rather a phenomenon known as the enigmatic red sprites.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick, from the International Space Station (ISS), captured this stunning photograph on June 3, showcasing a lineup of luminous orbs nestled within pockets of the atmosphere. But don't let their spaceship resemblance fool you! These blue orbs were sparked into existence by a row of thunderstorms off the coast of South Africa.
These transient luminous events, or brain-tickling bursts of energy that occur above storms, can be attributed to the magic of lightning. Intriguingly, the red flashes that streak through the photograph suggest a mysterious phenomenon associated with powerful lightning activity. These fascinating red streaks flare up high above the clouds in the mesosphere, the atmospheric layer immediately after the stratosphere.
Despite their captivating appearance, red sprites are one of the lesser-understood thunderstorm companions. Although they're closely linked to storms, sprites occur far from rain clouds in lower atmospheric zones. Instead, they put on their dazzling show between 50 to 80 kilometers up in the sky [1][2].
No need to panic when you catch a glimpse of these otherworldly forces of nature; they're not invaders from another planet but Earth's own celestial dance of lightning. Have you ever witnessed a red sprite? Be sure to send your snaps to Spritacular, a cool citizen scientist database, to help researchers get a better understanding of these atmospheric wonders [3].
[1] Spritacular: A Crowdsourced Database for Red Sprite Research. Retrieved from https://spritacular.com/[2] EarthSky. What Are Red Sprites? Retrieved from https://earthsky.org/space/what-are-red-sprites[3] NASA. Red Sprites - Lightning in the Sky. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-red-sprites-lightning-in-the-sky[4] National Center for Atmospheric Research. What Are Transient Luminous Events (TLEs)? Retrieved from https://www.ucar.edu/universe/ibles[5] Sengupta, D., & Rachmouni, R. (2019). ELLTES: A system for automatic detection of transient luminous events (TLEs) in multi-temporal satellite image sequences. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 521, 75-84. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.03.030
- In the future, with advancements in science and technology, we might be able to capture more instances of these celestial wonders, such as red sprites, from space using online resources like Spritacular.
- With the increasing awareness about transient luminous events like red sprites, online platforms like EarthSky and NASA can provide us with fascinating insights into the mysteries of our own atmosphere.
- As we delve deeper into understanding the mechanics of lightning and red sprites, technology might someday help us predict and observe these incredible natural phenomena not just online but also in real-time.
- Online collaboration among enthusiasts and researchers, working on projects like the ELLTES system, is essential for the future study of transient luminous events, such as red sprites and lightning, in the space and the upper atmosphere.
