Jump to:
- Lightning sprites
- Red lightning in space
- Observing red lightning
- Additional resources
- Bibliography
Red lightning, also known as a "sprite", is an intriguing weather phenomenon associated with certain very intense thunderstorms. While an ordinary lightning flash extends downward from the clouds to the ground, a sprite shoots way up into the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
However, red lightning it only lasts for a millisecond or so, which makes it difficult to observe and study. Here’s a look at what scientists have learned so far about the phenomenon.
Related:Space weather: What is it and how is it predicted?
What are lightning sprites?
Given their elusive nature, "sprite" is an appropriate name, although this is actually an acronym that stands for: Stratospheric Perturbations Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification. Like regular lightning, red lightning is caused by a build-up of electrical charge in clouds, but in this case the excess charge is released to the ionosphere — around 50 miles (81 kilometers) up — rather than to the ground.
Sprites are usually red in colour, and can range in shape between a jellyfish and a carrot. Compared to an ordinary flash of lightning they can be huge in size, often as much as 30 miles (48 km) across.
Although it looks so striking when captured in a photograph, red lightning isn’t easy to observe from the ground, because it occurs high above the cloud layer. It can be observed more clearly from high-altitude planes, including specially instrumented research aircraft and it's also been observed by astronauts on the International Space Station.
Red lightning isn’t the only upper-atmosphere phenomenon that can be triggered by thunderstorms. Collectively known as Transient Luminous Events, or TLEs, other examples include blue jets, which are optical ejections from the core region of a thunderstorm, and "elves" (Emission of Light and Very low frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic pulse Sources), which are rapidly expanding disc-shaped regions of luminosity.
Red lightning sprites in space
In common with many weather phenomena, red lightning could in principle occur on other planets that have an atmosphere, not just Earth. It’s been known, for example, that ordinary lightning is a common occurrence in Jupiter’s atmosphere ever since NASA’s Voyager 1 probe flew past the giant planet in 1979.
Related stories
In the case of sprites specifically, researchers at Tel Aviv University carried out an experiment in 2011 to test whether they could occur on Jupiter, its neighbouring gas giant Saturn, and our own near-neighbour Venus.
They re-created the atmospheres of these planets in their laboratory and passed electrical discharges through them. They found that under the right conditions, sprites could form on all three planets. In the case of Jupiter, the theory was finally confirmed in 2020, when observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft showed that both sprites and elves do indeed occur in the planet's upper atmosphere.
Observing sprites from space
Anecdotal accounts of lightning-like phenomena occurring above thunderstorms go back to the 19th century, but it was only in the 1950s, when red lightning was observed from airliners, and tentative physical theories were described, that it entered the scientific domain.
The first photograph of a sprite was taken by accident 1989, when a team from the University of Minnesota recorded an upward flash from the cloud tops while they were testing a low-light TV camera.
Over the next few years, video recordings made by astronauts on the Space Shuttle captured several more examples, placing the phenomenon on a much firmer observational footing.
Additional resources
For more information about weather phenomena check out, "An Introduction to Space Weather" by Mark Moldwin and "Space Weather Fundamentals" by George V. Khazanov.
Bibliography
- Meghan Gambino, "Scientists Capture Rare Photographs of Red Lightning", Smithsonian magazine, August 2013.
- Kristine De Abreu, "Natural Wonders: Sprite Lightning", ExplorersWeb, January 2022.
- University of Alaska, "Red Sprites, Blue Jets and Elves" accessed July 2022.
- Deborah Byrd, "What are lightning sprites?", EarthSky, August 2020.
- NASA, "Juno Solves 39-Year Old Mystery of Jupiter Lightning", June 2018.
- Jeremy Thomas, "UW Sprite Balloon Experiment 2002", University of Washington, October 2002.
- EarthSky, "Jupiter, Saturn and Venus might have lightning sprites, too", July 2012.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
Astrophysicist
Andrew May holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Manchester University, U.K. For 30 years, he worked in the academic, government and private sectors, before becoming a science writer where he has written for Fortean Times, How It Works, All About Space, BBC Science Focus, among others. He has also written a selection of books including Cosmic Impact and Astrobiology: The Search for Life Elsewhere in the Universe, published by Icon Books.
Most Popular
Alright, buckle up! Let's dive into the captivating world of red lightning or sprites, an awe-inspiring weather phenomenon. Now, when it comes to sprites, or "Stratospheric Perturbations Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification," as the acronym suggests, these aren't your ordinary lightning bolts. We're talking about electrical discharges reaching the ionosphere, around 50 miles above the ground.
The elusive nature of red lightning, lasting only a millisecond or so, poses a challenge for observation. Yet, scientists have made strides in understanding this phenomenon. Sprites are typically red, taking shapes resembling anything from a jellyfish to a carrot, and can stretch across a whopping 30 miles. Imagine that!
To get a good look at red lightning, you'd need to aim high—literally. High-altitude planes, specially equipped research aircraft, and even astronauts aboard the International Space Station have provided valuable perspectives. But don't think Earth is the only stage for this dazzling display; other planets with atmospheres could host their own versions of sprites.
In 2011, researchers at Tel Aviv University recreated the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus in a lab, successfully generating sprites under the right conditions. Fast forward to 2020, and NASA's Juno spacecraft confirmed the existence of sprites and "elves" (Emission of Light and Very low frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic pulse Sources) in Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
The story of red lightning's discovery is a tale of accidental captures and deliberate experiments. Lightning-like phenomena above thunderstorms have been reported since the 19th century, but the first sprite photograph was taken in 1989 during a test of a low-light TV camera by a University of Minnesota team. Astronauts on the Space Shuttle later contributed video recordings, solidifying the observation of these atmospheric wonders.
For those hungry for more knowledge, you can explore "An Introduction to Space Weather" by Mark Moldwin and "Space Weather Fundamentals" by George V. Khazanov. And if you want to delve deeper into the history and science of red lightning, check out the resources in the bibliography, including articles from Smithsonian magazine, ExplorersWeb, and NASA.
So there you have it—a whirlwind tour of red lightning, from its acronymic origins to its extraterrestrial counterparts, all backed by years of scientific exploration and observation. It's a reminder that the wonders of the universe extend far beyond our immediate surroundings.
