The image was taken by collaborators at the foot of the telescope at La Silla, an observatory in Chile operated by
Sprite (from English.A sprite, which translates to fairy, elf, or spirit, is a discharge of cold plasma that strikes high in the atmosphere. Unlike ordinary lightning, they occur above thunderclouds, releasing an electrical discharge at an altitude of 50 to 90 km. Sprites are much cooler than regular white lightning and appear much fainter, making them harder to see and capture in a photo. The first photographic evidence of this phenomenon was made only in 1989.
Red sprites in an image from the European Southern Observatory. Photo: Zdenek Bardon, ESO
A rare weather phenomenon was capturedDue to the unique conditions of the filming location, the Observatory is located in the Chilean Atacama Desert high above sea level. Thanks to this, it is reliably protected from light pollution and can record even such dim flashes.
The researchers note that although in the picture it seems that lightning flashes directly above the horizon, this is not so. Optical distortion is related to the height of the shooting location.
An enlarged image of the sprites. Photo: Zdenek Bardon, ESO
The photo also attracts attentiongreenish glow in the air. As scientists explain, this effect is caused by the impact of sunlight on the atoms and molecules in the composition of the air. During the day, photons of light knock electrons out of nitrogen and oxygen, and at night they return to their places, causing the atoms to glow. Such a glow can only be seen in the complete absence of light pollution.
Read more:
The largest migration in the history of the Earth will affect all living organisms on the planet
Astrophotographers have collected a detailed photo of the Moon from 200 thousand images
Nearly half of cancer cases linked to preventable risk factors