APOD: Sprite Lightning in High Definition (2023 Oct 02)

[APOD Robot]

Sprite Lightning in High Definition

Explanation: Sometimes lightning occurs out near space. One such lightning type is red sprite lightning, which has only been photographed and studied on Earth over the past 25 years. The origins of all types of lightning remain topics for research, and scientists are still trying to figure out why red sprite lightning occurs at all. Research has shown that following a powerful positive cloud-to-ground lightning strike, red sprites may start as 100-meter balls of ionized air that shoot down from about 80-km high at 10 percent the speed of light. They are quickly followed by a group of upward streaking ionized balls. Featured here is an extraordinarily high-resolution image of a group of red sprites. This image is a single frame lasting only 1/25th of a second from a video taken above Castelnaud Castle in Dordogne, France, about three weeks ago. The sprites quickly vanished -- no sprites were visible even on the very next video frame.

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[Ann]

Who would have guessed that red sprite lightning shows such a striking resemblance to the legs of the African Jacana (also known as the "Jesus Bird" because it can walk on water)?

Sprite Lightning in High Definition Image Credit & Copyright: Nicolas Escurat

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African Jacana. Credit: r/natureismetal

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Oh, and - no. The African Jacana is not the sort of bird that should haunt your nightmares. He is just a dutiful father, and most of "his" legs belong to his chicks! And by the way - the reason why he can walk on water is because his feet are nightmarish. They are!

African Jacana carrying his chicks under his wings. Credit: I don't know.

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African Jacana walking on floating leaves. Credit: Chris Eason

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Ann

[Avent]

Reminds me of the family of Thanksgiving dinner

[Aventp]

*at Thanksgiving dinner

[RocketRon]

Lotsa legs there !!

Back to sprites.
And the red colouring is symptomatic/indicative of - what ???

[Ann]

Lotsa legs there !!

Back to sprites.
And the red colouring is symptomatic/indicative of - what ???

Well, flashes of lightning are hot. According to this site, lightning can be as hot as 30,000°C (54,000°F). Such a temperature means that the flash is technically blue (or blue-white), although it is typically so overexposed that we see it as white.

Red sprites are much colder:

www.swc.nd.gov wrote:

Thunderstorms produce lightning, which is a release of static electricity between positive and negative charges in the atmosphere. This discharge is extremely hot, (approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit) roughly five times greater than the temperature of the sun. Occasionally, during positive or cloud to ground lightning strokes, another discharge of energy can take place above the thunderstorm and stretch into the upper reaches of earth’s atmosphere. This is called a red sprite. In comparison to lightning, red sprites are actually quite cold and their color is thought to result from charged particles interacting with nitrogen.

Ann

[nam888id]

What makes the lightening? for kids from the 1950/60s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELZdZ_V-MuU

[orin stepanek]

Nice images of the sprites! Is sky all they strike?
extraordinarily high-resolution> Three amigo dogs! You have to click on in write up to see them!

[johnnydeep]

Reminds me of the family atof Thanksgiving dinner

What does, the sprites or the African Jacana bird (and offspring)?

[daifu]

"shoot down from about 80-km high" 80 Km! - Really! That's 262,467 feet! Pretty high for a cumulonimbus...

[Chris Peterson]

"shoot down from about 80-km high" 80 Km! - Really! That's 262,467 feet! Pretty high for a cumulonimbus...

Sprites are associated with cumulonimbus clouds (and the cloud to ground lightning they produce). The do not occur in those clouds, though, but very far above them.