Upper-atmospheric lightning - Wikipedia
C-sprites (short for "columniform sprites") is the name given to vertical columns of red light. C-sprites exhibiting tendrils are sometimes called "carrot sprites". Other types of TLEs include sprite halos, ghosts, blue jets, gigantic jets, pixies, gnomes, trolls, blue starters, and ELVESs.
Elves, Sprites & Blue Jets: Earth's Weirdest Lightning
Jan 21, 2014 · Scientists first captured images of elves and sprites dancing above thunderstorms in the late '80s and early '90s. The leading culprit behind elves and sprites is positive lightning.
Sprite (folklore) - Wikipedia
The word sprite is derived from the Latin spiritus ("spirit"), via the French esprit. Variations on the term include spright and the Celtic spriggan. The term is chiefly used with regard to elves and fairies in European folklore, and in modern English is rarely used in reference to spirits.
Sprite (lightning) - Wikipedia
Sprites or red sprites are large-scale electric discharges that occur in the mesosphere, high above thunderstorm clouds, or cumulonimbus, giving rise to a varied range of visual shapes flickering in the night sky. They are usually triggered by the discharges of positive lightning between an underlying thundercloud and the ground. Precis.
Explainer: Sprites, jets, ELVES and other storm-powered lights
Mar 20, 2024 · Explainer: Sprites, jets, ELVES and other storm-powered lights. A variety of “transient luminous events” flash in the skies above intense thunderstorms. Huge, tendril-like red glows called sprites briefly appear in the sky above some powerful thunderstorms. Paul Smith. By Maria Temming.
Juno Data Indicates 'Sprites' or 'Elves' Frolic in Jupiter's Atmosphere
Oct 27, 2020 · New results from NASA's Juno mission at Jupiter suggest that either "sprites" or "elves" could be dancing in the upper atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet.
Red lightning: The electrifying weather phenomenon explained - Space.com
Jul 13, 2022 · Red lightning, also known as a "sprite", is an intriguing weather phenomenon associated with certain very intense thunderstorms. While an ordinary lightning flash extends downward from the...
Red Sprites, Blue Jets and Elves - University at Albany
Red sprites, blue jets and elves are upper atmospheric optical phenomena associated with thunderstorms that have only recently been documented by using low light level television technology. These phenomena are collectively called Transient Luminous Events (TLE's).
Spritacular: NASA’s New Citizen Science Project to Capture Elusive ...
Oct 26, 2022 · Scientists dubbed these elusive events “sprites,” a reference to mythical fairy-like creatures from European folklore. As other kinds of TLEs were discovered, the playful naming convention stuck. Today, scientists study ELVES, Halos, Blue Jets, Gigantic Jets, and more.
Severe Weather 101: Lightning Types - NOAA National Severe …
The most common TLEs include red sprites, blue jets, and elves. Sprites can appear directly above an active thunderstorm as a large but weak discharge. They usually happen at the same time as powerful positive CG lightning strokes.