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Explanation: Is there an angry Sith using force lightning in the Tatacoa Desert? This is not science fiction, but a red sprite with multiple streamers! Ordinary lightning occurs when thundercloud particles collide, lose their electrons, and build up negative charge at the cloud bottom. The cloudÁs negative charge repels negative charge deeper into the Earth, leaving EarthÁs surface positively charged. The opposite charges attract, reaching towards each other and superheating the air into a white strike of plasma. Red sprites are millisecond events triggered by positive cloud-to-ground lightning. They extend up into the mesosphere where the air is too thin for thunder. Their red glow comes from heated molecular nitrogen. There are several potential causes for red sprites, including that the preceding positive lightning exposes the negatively charged cloud core to the positively charged upper atmosphere, allowing those charges to connect. NASAÁs Juno has observed sprites on Jupiter, indicating that sprites occur on other planets!
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: lightning - Earth
Publications with words: lightning - Earth
See also:
- APOD: 2026 June 13 Á Interplanetary Earth
- APOD: 2026 April 4 Á Hello World
- Earthset from Orion
- APOD: 2025 December 23 Á Red Sprites and Circular Elves Lightning over Italy
- APOD: 2025 October 12 Á All the Water on Europa
- APOD: 2025 December 16 Á Andromeda and Sprites over Australia
- APOD: 2025 December 8 Á Flying Over the Earth at Night