Houston, TX – NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently captured stunning images of red sprites, a rare atmospheric phenomenon, in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
These bright red flashes were photographed by astronaut Matthew Dominick on June 3, 2024, highlighting a powerful lightning event above a thunderstorm off the coast of South Africa.
According to NASA, red sprites are a type of Transient Luminous Event (TLE) that appear high above thunderstorms in the mesosphere. These colorful bursts of energy are less understood than other lightning phenomena and are typically captured with wide focal lengths during Earth timelapses.
Instruments like the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) help researchers gather data on TLEs to better understand their impact on Earth’s climate and weather.
