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Title: Rare 'Upper Atmosphere Lightning' Photographed From ISS

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/08/18/0...

Take a look at what being called "a stunning phenomenon," captured in a photo
taken from the International Space Station as it passed above a thunderstorm
over Mexico and the American Southwest. So what was it? "A rare form of
Transient Luminous Event (TLE) called a gigantic jet," according to a new
blog post at Notebookcheck.net: A gigantic jet happens above thunderstorms,
firing powerful bursts of electrical charge from the top of the thunderstorm
(about 20 km [12.4 miles] above the ground) into the upper atmosphere (about
100 km [62.1 miles] above the ground). The upper part of gigantic jets
produces red emissions identical to sprites [large-scale electric discharges
above thunderclouds]. But while gigantic jets burst directly from the top of
thunderstorms, sprites form independently, much higher in the atmosphere,
appearing around 50 miles (80 km) above the Earth's surface. "If ordinary
lightning seems pretty ordinary, upper-atmosphere lightning is something else
- an entire zoo of various upper-atmosphere electrical discharges," writes
the Severe Weather Europe site. And NASA made a request in a new blog post
this week to any aspiring citizen scientists. "Have you captured an image of
a jet, sprite, or other type of TLE? Submit your photos to Spritacular.org to
help scientists study these fascinating night sky phenomena!" Click here to
see some of the photos from around the world that have already been uploaded
and collected at Spritacular.org.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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