APOD: Sprites from Space (2015 Aug 21)

[APOD Robot]

Sprites from Space

Explanation: An old Moon and the stars of Orion rose above the eastern horizon on August 10. The Moon's waning crescent was still bright enough to be overexposed in this snapshot taken from another large satellite of planet Earth, the International Space Station. A greenish airglow traces the atmosphere above the limb of the planet's night. Below, city lights and lightning flashes from thunderstorms appear over southern Mexico. The snapshot also captures the startling apparition of a rare form of upper atmospheric lightning, a large red sprite caught above a lightning flash at the far right. While the space station's orbital motion causes the city lights to blur and trail during the exposure, the extremely brief flash of the red sprite is sharp. Now known to be associated with thunderstorms, much remains a mystery about sprites including how they occur, their effect on the atmospheric global electric circuit, and if they are somehow related to other upper atmospheric lightning phenomena such as blue jets or terrestrial gamma flashes.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

[/b]

[ZebraStripes]

I love APOD, have set it as my home page to learn more every day, as I am an interested, but totally untrained star gazer. My question on this "Sprites from Space" image: In upper right corner, there appears to be a reddish 'shooting star'. Two questions -- Is it a 'shooting star'? and... Does it's red color relate to the Red Sprite below (and to the left)?

[geckzilla]

I love APOD, have set it as my home page to learn more every day, as I am an interested, but totally untrained star gazer. My question on this "Sprites from Space" image: In upper right corner, there appears to be a reddish 'shooting star'. Two questions -- Is it a 'shooting star'? and... Does it's red color relate to the Red Sprite below (and to the left)?

Best I can guess you're pointing out a regular star that has been distorted by the camera lens. Wide angle lenses tend to do this. If you look around at the other stars, mostly near the edges of the frame, you'll notice others doing that. They'll change in angle to "point" near the center of the image since it's a lens effect. It's a little hard to see in this case because either the camera or the ISS itself moved quite a bit during the long exposure.

[Zoomer]

I love APOD, have set it as my home page to learn more every day, as I am an interested, but totally untrained star gazer. My question on this "Sprites from Space" image: In upper right corner, there appears to be a reddish 'shooting star'. Two questions -- Is it a 'shooting star'? and... Does it's red color relate to the Red Sprite below (and to the left)?

My first guess was the same as yours.
My second guess, after looking at a higher resolution image, is that this is one of a small group of three similar lines which could be reflection off the window from the interior of the ISS. Way less likely, these could be trails of other satellites or debris

[Space Guffaw]

Looks more like a reflection of the interior of the Space Station of which apparently "little is understood."

[Boomer12k]

Another interesting image of a strange phenomena...
I like Orion Rising...

:---[===] *

[Papi]

Can anyone identify the ground area? Where in southern Mexico is this? I suspect Yucatan Peninsula but seems too well lit for that.

[starsurfer]

A question for you all (that I'm hoping Chris Peterson will answer):
If a picture of Earth was taken with a camera and an OIII filter from the International Space Station, would this enhance the airglow?

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

Can anyone identify the ground area? Where in southern Mexico is this? I suspect Yucatan Peninsula but seems too well lit for that.

I believe the link "snapshot taken from another large satellite" provides the location looking at the lower section.

[Chris Peterson]

A question for you all (that I'm hoping Chris Peterson will answer):
If a picture of Earth was taken with a camera and an OIII filter from the International Space Station, would this enhance the airglow?

I don't think so. An OIII filter blocks everything except 501 nm. But this component isn't a part of the airglow spectrum, which is dominated by the 558 nm atomic oxygen line (and contains a number of other lines, as well). So if you wanted to enhance airglow, a 558 nm filter would be the one to use. But even a broad green filter should increase the airglow contrast.

[MarkBour]

I love APOD, have set it as my home page to learn more every day, as I am an interested, but totally untrained star gazer. My question on this "Sprites from Space" image: In upper right corner, there appears to be a reddish 'shooting star'. Two questions -- Is it a 'shooting star'? and... Does it's red color relate to the Red Sprite below (and to the left)?

If you're referring to this item at the upper right of the image:

Many images shot from the ISS show pieces of the station in and around the edges of the images. I suspect this is an arm or strut on something.

[phoenix900]

Should have included your link to blue jets

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap951112.html

[neufer]

[b][color=#FF0000][size=150]Red sprite over lightning discharge near El Salvador coast[/size][/color][/b]

---

Can anyone identify the ground area? Where in southern Mexico is this? I suspect Yucatan Peninsula but seems too well lit for that.

I believe the link "snapshot taken from another large satellite" provides the location looking at the lower section.

<<As the ISS was over the coastal Mexican resort of Acapulco, the crew documented a red sprite over a brilliant white thundercloud and lightning discharge near the coast of El Salvador. City lights [Tegucigalpa? Managua?] are a diffuse yellow because they are shining through clouds.>>