- Lightning strikes that we see here on the surface are just one type of storm, while others occur in places we cannot see from the ground.
- Lightning also brings out spectacular views in the space above the clouds, stretching into the atmosphere in colors we never see from a lightning bolt from clouds to earth.
- A new image captured by researchers at NOIRLab gives us a stunning look at two lightning-fast features that were rarely seen playing out at the exact moment.
We all know what happens when a thunderstorm passes through the neck of our forest. We get rain, wind, thunder, and, of course, lightning. Seeing a lightning strike from clouds to earth can be amazing – as long as you’re not nearby – but those energy bolts are just one part of the lightning story. The rest play out above the clouds, and one could say that the rare visible displays hidden from our view on the ground are even more spectacular.
In a new image posted by NOIRLab, we get the treatment of not one, but two such versions frozen in time. The image was captured near Mauna Kea, a long volcano in Hawaii that is home to many high-powered telescopes. What we see in the electronic image is directing its sky power in the form of features called red sprites and blue jets. You can clearly see how they won their names.
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The picture almost looks misleading, and you would be forgiven for thinking that. We never see lightning like this, and it is especially rare to see it from a place on Earth rather than from above it. The differences between the jets and the sprites have everything to do with where they are located in the atmosphere. Red jrites look like flames with gliding flames, while blue jets look like solid beams of plasma being fired up into space.
This chart by the European Space Agency does a great job showing the difference between the two wonders, but since they are both lightning-fast products, they are still closely linked.
NOIRLab offers some additional context:
Red sprites and blue jets are special because of their colors, and also the side they hit. As you can see in this image, the red and blue lights burn up from the top of the deck of clouds, and blow out towards space, rather than down towards Earth. It is very rare to capture these onions on camera and even more so from this particular scene.
The image was captured by ground cameras called “Cloud Cams” near the North Gemini telescope. The telescopes located there look deep into space, but this picture is a good reminder that some very amazing things are happening here at home.
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Mike Wehner has been reporting on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and the future of tech. Mike was most recently a Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared in USA Today, Time.com, and in countless web and print outlets. His love of narrating only second place on his game thesis.