Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 July 15
   [2]Lightning spreads like roots from a tree up into the atmosphere from
   the top of a cloud. Stars are scattered across the night sky above and
                    the desert sits below the cloud deck.

                      Red Sprites in the Tatacoa Desert
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Mario Vargas
   Text: [4]Keighley Rockcliffe ([5]NASA [6]GSFC, [7]UMBC CSST, [8]CRESST
                                     II)

   Explanation: Is there an angry [9]Sith using [10]force lightning in the
   [11]Tatacoa Desert? This is not science fiction, but a [12]red sprite
   with multiple [13]streamers! Ordinary [14]lightning occurs when
   thundercloud particles collide, lose their electrons, and build up
   negative charge at the cloud bottom. The cloud’s negative charge repels
   negative charge deeper into the Earth, leaving Earth’s surface
   positively charged. The [15]opposite charges attract, reaching towards
   each other and superheating the air into a white strike of [16]plasma.
   [17]Red sprites are [18]millisecond events triggered by [19]positive
   cloud-to-ground lightning. They extend up into [20]the mesosphere where
   the air is too thin for [21]thunder. Their red glow comes from heated
   [22]molecular nitrogen. There are [23]several potential causes for red
   sprites, including that the preceding [24]positive lightning exposes
   the negatively charged cloud core to the positively charged upper
   atmosphere, allowing those charges to connect. [25]NASA’s Juno has
   observed [26]sprites on Jupiter, indicating that sprites occur on other
   planets!

            Tomorrow's picture: a galaxy bursting with excitement
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    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2607/red_sprite.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/orioncampamento
   4. https://kerockcliffe.com/
   5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/keighley.e.rockcliffe
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   7. https://csst.umbc.edu/directory/
   8. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
   9. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sith
  10. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Force_lightning
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRBEN2IzPo
  12. https://www.instagram.com/p/DajC0nThpZp/
  13. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10712-013-9224-4
  14. https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/faq/
  15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsINeZMeTMQ
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3T2ldsdtMg
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231002.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210104.html
  19. https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/lightning/positive-and-negative-side-of-lightning
  20. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/whats-in-the-atmosphere/
  21. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/severe-weather/what-causes-lightning-and-thunder
  22. https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmosphere
  23. https://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/space/AtmosElec/spriteinfo.html
  24. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/science/explainers/astronaut-spots-red-sprite-from-the-international-space-station
  25. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/
  26. https://www.astronomy.com/science/sprites-and-elves-found-frolicking-in-jupiters-skies/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260714.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260715
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260716.html
  38. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  39. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  40. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/