What is this mysterious blue light captured by Thomas Baskett from space?

As Thomas Pesket explains, “This photo was taken from a series taken over a period of time in Europe. Luckily, she shows lightning and drizzle in the upper atmosphere! These light events are rare and very short, making them difficult to photograph and study. The International Space Station is equipped with a device dedicated to their observation“.

The French astronaut was able to manage immortalityTherefore, it is a transient luminous phenomenon (transient luminescent event or DLE in English), sometimes called “sprites” or syllables, and it is accompanied by the formation of visible light flash in the upper atmosphere and the accompanying thunder. TLEs are optical fluorescence phenomena that are caused by electrical discharges during basic thunderstorms. They usually last less than a millisecond and 2 seconds.

Not much is known about these events because they are dangerous to aircraft, especially spacecraft. “The ISS is particularly relevant to these observations because it flies over the equator, where more storms occur several times a day. One fascinating thing about these lightning bolts is that they have been a legend for decades, told by pilots, and scientists do not believe they exist. We now know that sprites, elves and other blue or giant jets actually exist and that they can have an impact on the weather.“, Thomas Baskett continues.