Red Sprites Captured from Orbit by Astronaut Kimiya Yui
Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui has shared incredible footage of red sprites, observed from the International Space Station (ISS).
A Glimpse into the Upper Atmosphere
"I was able to capture footage of a sprite phenomenon, so I’d like to share it with you," Kimiya Yui shared. "It was purely by chance that I managed to capture it amidst a lot of lightning, so it was just a matter of luck. While lightning is terrifying from the ground, it looks beautiful when seen from space, which is a bit unsettling. Please take extra care during the lightning season, everyone! This post is wishing everyone good fortune as well!"
Understanding Red Sprites
These mysterious bursts of light in the upper atmosphere momentarily resemble gigantic jellyfish. One unusual feature of sprites is that they are relatively cold. They operate more like long fluorescent light tubes than hot compact light bulbs.
In general, red sprites take only a fraction of a second to occur and are best seen when powerful thunderstorms are visible from the side.
Learn More
For those interested in delving deeper into these fascinating atmospheric events, you can learn more here:
