Watch the video above to see Mogensen’s footage, and learn more about blue jets, red sprites and other flashes … They occur when positive lightning goes from the cloud to the ground. Atmospheres: Atmospheric Phenomena : Red Sprite : High-altitude flashes excited by lightning which occur between the tops of some thunder clouds and the ionosphere, first reported by Franz et al. Science & Exploration Andreas Mogensen lands after a busy mission on Space Station . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Red sprites and blue jets Access the video. The photo above was taken by an astronaut on board the space shuttle and shows what has become known as a red sprite. The causes of both phenomena are not known. Spent 7. Not much is known about these types of lightening strikes. Story. So we must wait to learn more about blue jets. Citing Literature . A second, rarer, type of luminous emission are ‘‘blue jets’’ that appear to spurt upward out of the anvil top in narrow cones to altitudes of 40–50 km at speeds of ∼100 km/s. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/science/red-sprite. EXL 98 Campaign Web Site. Science & Exploration Astronaut brains as beacons for researchers. In the 1920s, the Scottish physicist C.T.R. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. They are most frequently seen in the Midwest. A second, rarer, type of luminous emission are ‘‘blue jets’’ that appear to spurt upward out of the anvil top in narrow cones to altitudes of 40–50 km at speeds of ∼100 km/s. But an astronaut has confirmed the displays do exist, capturing stunning footage of them from the International Space Station. Red sprites are interpreted as the downward streamers of varying cross sections launched from plasma patches in the lower ionosphere, which are caused by the electric field generated by the lightning discharge. Geophysical Research Letters. The image shows lightning strikes illuminating clouds over Western Australia during a thunderstorm. Red sprites and blue jets. Kate says: September 29, 2010 at 12:48 PM. Blue jets are cones of blue light brighter than sprites that spray upward from the tops of thunderclouds up to an altitude of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) at … Several years later, the optical signatures of these events were named 'sprites' by researchers to avoid inadvertently implying physical properties that were, at the time, still unknown. Elves, Sprites & Blue Jets: Earth's Weirdest Lightning Elves - Like sprites, elves are reddish, ultra-fast bursts of electricity bright enough to see during the daytime high in the Earth's atmosphere. Looking for Red Sprites and Blue Jets? (1990). One of the blue jets observed reached 25 miles (40 km) above sea level. Sprites or red sprites are large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorm clouds, or cumulonimbus, giving rise to a quite varied range of visual shapes flickering in the night sky. These optical emissions, known as red sprites and blue jets, occur between the tops of some thunderstorms and the ionosphere. Red sprite over Oklahoma, caught by Paul Smith on October 6, 2017. Weather phenomenon around the globe produces some amazing effects. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Profuse activity of blue electrical discharges at the tops of thunderstorms. Red sprites and blue jets page: 1. In views from the International Space Station, a mysterious set of electrical discharges shine above a roiling thunderstorm in Earth's upper atmosphere. They’re blue due to ionised emissions from nitrogen. Corrections? These optical emissions, known as red sprites and blue jets, occur between the tops of some thunderstorms and the ionosphere. Stanford University Sprites 98 Campaign. Known as red sprites and blue jets, these electrical storms shoot lightening up into space towards the outer edges of Earth’s atmosphere instead of towards the surface of the Earth. Blue Jets —A blue jet is a dim blue light that rises like a quick puff of smoke above heavy hailstorms. As part of his 10-day mission Andreas performed an experiment called Thor after the god of thunder, lightning and storms in Nordic mythology. Synonyms for Red Sprites and Blue Jets in Free Thesaurus. Synonyms for Red Sprites and Blue Jets in Free Thesaurus. The mechanism for generating red sprites is currently not well understood. Red Sprites and Blue Jet. For years, their existence has been debated: elusive electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere that sport names such as red sprites, blue jets, pixies and elves. Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 17. Lightning phenomena: sprites, elves and blue jets There are different types of lightning (or electrical discharges) that occur well above the realm of the thunderstorms that we experience in the troposphere (the lowest layer of earth’s atmosphere as it runs as high as about 17 km above earth’s surface). Theorists grapple with high-flying sprites 3. Red Sprites/Blue Jets by Wonder Council, released 02 February 2015 1. They most frequently happen early … Explanation of Red Sprites and Blue Jets Blue jets are cones of blue light brighter than sprites that spray upward from the tops of thunderclouds up to an altitude of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) at speeds of about 22,370 mph (36,000 km/h). Waiting 5. In this paper the principal observational characteristics of sprites and jets are presented, and several proposed production mechanisms are reviewed. Read more about this image . Thank you for liking. This region spans most of the mesosphere, the region of the atmosphere between about 50 and 80 km (30 and 50 miles) in altitude and which overlaps much of the ionospheric D region (between 70 and 90 km, or approximately 40 and 55 miles in altitude). Ground observations of violent electrical storms are difficult due to the  the atmosphere blocking radiation. Mystery red sprites and blue jets are spotted in space. Like. Blue Jets . Red sprites are interpreted as the downward streamers of varying cross sections launched from plasma patches in the lower ionosphere, which are caused by the electric field generated by the lightning discharge. Mogenson was provided with detailed instructions on geographic coordinates of possible storm activity as well as which lens, filter and camera settings to use as part of Thor, a new thundercloud imaging system founded by the Technical University of Denmark. Red sprites are flashes of red light that last just a few thousandths of a second. share: alienaddicted. Red sprites and blue jets: Thunderstorm-excited optical emissions in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and ionosphere Sentman, D. D.; Wescott, E. M. Abstract. The original 1994 video clip from which the terms "Red Sprites" and "Blue Jets" are derived. [1] Models of red sprites and blue jets based on the concept of the streamer‐leader mechanism of the air breakdown are presented. Sprites. Two Entwined This is a compilation album comprised of two previously released EP's that were recorded over the course of 2013 and 2014. Antonyms for Red Sprites and Blue Jets. Sprites are massive but weak luminous flashes that appear directly above an active thunderstorm system and are coincident with cloud-to-ground or intracloud lightning strokes. In ensuing decades, high altitude electrical discharges were reported by aircraft pilots and discounted by meteorologistsuntil the first direct visual evidence was documented in 1989. Blue jets happen in cone shapes above thunderstorm clouds, and are not related to lightning. Andreas aimed for cloud turrets – cloud pillars extending into the upper atmosphere – and shot a 160 second video showing 245 blue flashes from the top of a turret that drifted from the Bay of Bengal’s thunderstorm. Related displays of atmospheric electricity -- 'red sprites' and 'blue jets' -- inspire awe too. a brilliant electric discharge in the sky: The dark sky was pierced by lightning. Devendraa Siingh, R. … They are usually triggered by the discharges of positive lightning between an underlying thundercloud and the ground. Beginning in 1990, about twenty images have been obtained from the space shuttle. 9 words related to lightning: chain lightning, forked lightning, atmospheric electricity, bolt, bolt of lightning, thunderbolt, flash, heat lightning.... What are synonyms for Red Sprites and Blue Jets? Blue tendrils have been called red sprites and blue jets, elves: Lights. Types of lightening strikes reddish colour on low-light television records, and several proposed production mechanisms reviewed! `` red sprites, blue jets, flashes of light that occur above thunderstorms pierced by lightning. comprised two! Was pierced by lightning. 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