ISS astronaut photographs mysterious phenomenon in the atmosphere

NASA astronaut Nicole Ayers took a rare image from the ISS of a natural phenomenon called a sprite — a powerful flare in the atmosphere that occurs during strong thunderstorms with lightning. 

Sprites are shaped like tornadoes of light in the stratosphere. These light flashes are still poorly understood, although scientists have been studying the phenomenon for more than 30 years. Sprite is quite difficult to photograph because it lasts only a few milliseconds and occurs infrequently.

Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite.

Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below. We have a great view above the clouds, so… pic.twitter.com/dCqIrn3vrA

— Nichole “Vapor” Ayers (@Astro_Ayers) July 3, 2025

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sprites differ in size and shape, with the largest reaching a height of 80 kilometers above the Earth’s surface from the top of a cumulus cloud, where they are born. They are red in color because they interact with nitrogen in the upper atmosphere.

Sprites can be seen from the Earth only at night with the help of special equipment, as their brightness is relatively low. Astrophysicists have discovered similar phenomena in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Scientists also suggest that they may occur on Saturn and Venus.

However, despite years of research, scientists are still not sure why some lightning strikes cause sprites to appear, while others do not. A photo taken by Nicole Ayers may help scientists better understand the nature of this phenomenon. 

Source: NotebookCheck