Rare 'sprite' lightning event caught by NASA astronaut from space

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a Transient Luminous Event (TLE) or "sprite" while orbiting above North America. The brief red flashes appeared high above thunderstorms over Mexico and the United States, visible as glowing red lights shimmering in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Sprites are short bursts of electrical energy reaching up to 100 kilometers above Earth’s surface, composed of “cold plasma” similar to the glow inside a fluorescent light rather than typical lightning. Due to their high altitude and fleeting duration, sprites are rarely seen from the ground, making Ayers’ space-based observation particularly notable.

Sharing the image on X, Ayers commented, “Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite.” She explained, “Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below.”





Sprites have intrigued scientists and pilots for nearly a century. Pilots reported sightings long before scientists accepted their existence, often dismissing them as optical illusions. The first clear image was captured accidentally in 1989, confirming their reality. NASA describes sprites as occurring when strong lightning discharges interact with the ionosphere, causing nitrogen molecules to glow reddish. Sprites are part of a group of upper-atmosphere phenomena that also includes blue jets and red elves.

The post generated curiosity and amazement among viewers. One user called sprites “one of the rarest of rare celestial phenomenon,” while another inquired, “How long do the sprites last? Is this a still shot taken from a video? What altitude did this one reach? The more we find out, it becomes obvious we know far less than we thought.”

(With inputs from TOI)