On July 4, an unusual atmospheric event was photographed from the International Space Station (ISS) by astronaut Nichole Ayers. The image captured what appeared to be a bright, fleeting flash above the United States, initially believed to be a sprite but later identified as a much rarer phenomenon known as a gigantic jet.
According to NASA, gigantic jets are a type of transient luminous event (TLE), which includes blue jets, red sprites, violet halos, and ultraviolet rings. These events occur in the upper atmosphere during thunderstorms and are typically difficult to observe from the ground due to their brief nature and high altitude. “These brief spectacles – blue jets, red sprites, violet halos, ultraviolet rings – are collectively known as transient luminous events, or TLEs,” Earth.com reported.
Previously considered pilot folklore, TLEs have become more accessible for study thanks to advanced observation platforms like the ISS. “The International Space Station (ISS) has changed that by offering an unobstructed seat above the storms, where specialized cameras and sensors capture every fleeting spark,” according to Earth.com.
The confirmation of the sighting came from Dr. Burcu Kosar, Principal Investigator of NASA’s Spritacular project: “‘Nichole Ayers caught a rare and spectacular form of a TLE from the International Space Station — a gigantic jet’, said Dr. Burcu Kosar.” Gigantic jets are described as massive electrical discharges that extend from thunderstorm tops into the upper atmosphere. “They are typically observed by chance — often spotted by airline passengers or captured unintentionally by ground-based cameras aimed at other phenomena. Gigantic jets appear when the turbulent conditions at towering thunderstorm tops allow for lightning to escape the thunderstorm, propagating upwards toward space.”
This latest observation adds valuable data for scientists studying these rarely seen atmospheric events.
